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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Die Bräutigamswitwe remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a very specific craving for 1930s German farce and don't mind feeling a little exhausted by the end of it, sure. Give it a go. If you hate characters who refuse to just talk to each other to solve a basic problem, stay far, far away.
It’s the kind of movie where people run through doors, slam them shut, and look surprised when the person they were hiding from is standing right behind them. It’s a lot.
George gets drunk. We’ve all been there, though hopefully not in a way that involves marrying a chorus girl named Fay. Senta Söneland does a lot of heavy lifting here, mostly by looking exasperated while everyone around her panics.
The whole premise relies on this bizarre idea that people would just assume murder happened because a fight went wrong. It’s a stretch, even for a screwball comedy. There’s a frantic energy that feels like watching a stage play that’s been shoved in front of a camera and told to move faster.
I couldn't help but compare the pacing to something like A Champion Loser, where the absurdity feels a bit more earned. Here, the characters are just screaming because the script says so.
It’s not a masterpiece, and honestly, it’s not even trying to be. It’s a bit of a relic. Sometimes that's enough, but other times you just want the characters to sit down for five minutes and breathe.
Maybe it’s just me, but the frantic pace starts to feel a little hollow about halfway through. You can practically hear the director yelling "faster!" from behind the camera. It’s loud, it’s dizzying, and I think I need a nap after watching it. 😴