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6.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Die zärtlichen Verwandten remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about eighty minutes to kill and don’t mind squinting at some grainy footage, this is actually worth a look. It is for people who enjoy the specific chaos of early 'talkies' where everyone is still figuring out where to stand. If you need a plot that actually moves or characters that act like real humans, you will probably hate this movie. 🎞️
It’s one of those early German sound films that feels like the camera is nailed to the floor. Most of the action happens in a few rooms where relatives are basically vibrating with anxiety.
I think the the main draw here is Adele Sandrock. She has this way of entering a room that makes everyone else look like they are made of cardboard. She plays the kind of relative who probably has an opinion on the way you breathe.
The plot is about marriage and money, which is pretty standard for 1930. Everyone is trying to fix someone else's life while their own is a bit of a disaster. It reminds me a little bit of the energy in The Wild Party, but way more German and stiff.
There is a scene near the middle where three men are talking at once and the sound recording is so muddy you can barely tell who is winning the argument. It’s great. It feels very honest in its messiness.
Felix Bressart shows up and he is easily the best part. He has this nervous energy that feels modern compared to everyone else who is acting like they are in the back row of a theater. He’s got these eyes that look like he just realized he left the stove on at home.
The movie gets noticeably better once the family starts actually arguing instead of just being polite. There is a specific reaction shot of a maid in the background that lasts way too long. She just looks confused. I felt like that maid for most of the runtime. 🤨
I noticed that the hats in this movie are distractingly large. One woman wears a hat that looks like it could double as a satellite dish. I spent five minutes wondering how she kept her balance.
It isn't as polished as something like Kiss and Make Up, which came out a few years later. You can tell they were still scared of the microphone. People stand very still when they talk, like they are afraid if they move, the movie will stop working.
The romance part of the story is... fine. It is very 'boy meets girl, parents get in the way, everyone yells.' I didn't really care if they got together. I just wanted to see more of the house. The wallpaper is wild.
"Family is a gift you can't return, even if the receipt is still in the box."
That isn't a quote from the movie, but it should be. The title translates to 'The Tender Relatives' but nobody is being particularly tender. It’s all very sarcastic.
One weird thing—there is a dog that appears in one scene and then just disappears forever. I wonder if the dog got bored and walked off set. I wouldn't blame it.
Is it a masterpiece? No way. But it has this clunky charm that you don't get in modern movies. It feels like finding an old photo album in someone’s attic. You don't know the people, but you can tell they were having a very loud time.
The ending happens very fast. Like, the movie just decides it is done and stops. I respect that. No need to drag out the resolution when we all know how these things go.
If you've seen stuff like Peter Pan from the silent era, the transition to sound here feels like a giant leap and a stumble at the same time. It’s fascinating to watch them struggle with the tech.
I’d say watch it if you’re a fan of the cast or if you just like the sound of 1930s German. It’s a bit of a time capsule. Just don't expect it to change your life. It's just a bunch of people being annoying to each other for an hour. And honestly? That's enough sometimes. 🥂
IMDb —
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