Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will: A dusty bit of old-world charm

Is it worth the watch?

If you're into old-school, slightly creaky German cinema, you might get a kick out of this. It's not exactly high-octane excitement, and if you hate movies where the stakes feel like they're being measured in teaspoons, stay far away. People who like watching period pieces to see how people used to sit in chairs will love it. Everyone else? Maybe grab a coffee first.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will (1934) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing is basically a tug-of-war between the stage and the kitchen. Lil Dagover does a lot of heavy lifting here. You can see her trying to find the spark in a script that really wants her to just settle down and be quiet. It’s like watching someone try to dance in a room that's just a little bit too small.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will (1934) through its definitive frames.

Some random notes:

• The dialogue is so polite it almost hurts.
• The way the father stares at the camera is weirdly intense.
• I spent about ten minutes wondering if the furniture was real or just painted wood.
• One of the side characters, Werner Finck, shows up and just sort of... exists in the background for a while.

The pacing is a bit of a mess, honestly. Some scenes feel like they go on forever, especially when the characters are arguing about family duty. It makes me miss the faster cuts you see in something like The Pace That Thrills. Here, things move at the speed of a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Eine Frau, die weiß, was sie will (1934) through its definitive frames.

There is this one moment where she looks at her stage makeup and just sighs. It says more than the entire monologue she has to deliver later. Sometimes the camera catches a flicker of real frustration in her eyes, and that’s when the movie actually works. It's not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not a total snooze.

If you liked the stiff drama in Abraham Lincoln, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. Just don't go in expecting a revolution. It’s just a story about a woman trying to keep her head above water in a very stuffy, very crowded house.