Entotsuya Perô Review: A dusty, honest look at 1930s Japan

Is it worth your time?

If you like those dusty, old silent films that feel like they were dug out of a basement, Entotsuya Perô is actually pretty cool. It is a time capsule of 1930s Japan that doesn't feel fake.

History nerds and people who like movies about "the little guy" will get a kick out of it. If you need explosions or a plot that moves like a bullet, you’re probably going to hate this one.

I found myself staring at the chimneys more than the actors. There is something weirdly relaxing about the way the smoke curls into the sky in these old black-and-white shots. 🌫️

Pero is the main guy, and he is just a chimney sweep. He isn't a hero saving the world, he is just a guy with a brush and a very dirty face.

Yoshitsugu Tanaka directed this and also stars in it, which is kind of impressive. You can tell he really cared about making the soot look real, because his face is absolutely caked in it for most of the movie.

The movie doesn't have the fancy polish of something like The Office Scandal. It feels much more raw and a bit clumsy in places, which I actually liked.

The way the camera moves is a bit jittery. It feels like the tripod was missing a screw or something, but it adds to that "neighborhood" feeling.

There’s a scene where he’s climbing a ladder that looks like it’s about to snap. I actually felt a bit nervous for him, even though this was filmed almost a hundred years ago.

It reminds me a bit of the grit in The Man Hunt, but way more focused on the dirt under the fingernails. It’s not trying to be a thriller; it’s just trying to be... real.

One thing that’s weird is the pacing. Sometimes the movie just stops to look at a street corner or a pile of bricks for a few seconds too long. 🧱

I think I saw a cat in the background of one scene, but it might have just been a pile of rags moving in the wind. The film quality is a bit grainy, so it’s hard to tell.

Unlike Political Pull, this movie doesn't care about the big shots in suits. It’s all about the people on the roofs looking down at the city.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Entotsuya Perô (1930) through its definitive frames.

The writing is simple, which makes sense since it’s a silent film. The intertitles don't try to be poetic; they just tell you what's happening.

I noticed that the shadows in the alleyways are super dark. It gives the whole thing a slightly spooky vibe even when nothing scary is happening.

It’s a lot less theatrical than something like Don Quixote. There are no big gestures or over-the-top acting here.

"Sometimes a chimney is just a chimney, but here it feels like the whole world."

I did find myself getting a bit bored around the middle part. The story kind of wanders off like a dog that saw a squirrel.

But then Pero does something small and human, and you’re back in it. He has this way of wiping his forehead that makes you feel how hot it must have been under that sun.

It's definitely not as polished as The Cardboard Lover. It’s got more in common with those rougher European films like Sonad skuld.

Small things I loved:

• The way the light hits the dust in the air.
• The weirdly shaped hats everyone seems to be wearing.
• That one shot of a tea kettle that seems to last for a minute.
• The fact that Pero’s brush looks like it’s seen better days.

The ending is... well, it just kind of happens. It’s not a big climax where everything is solved with a bow on top.

It just feels like a day in the life ended, and the camera stopped rolling. That might annoy some people who want a "proper" ending.

I think I liked it more for the texture of the film than the actual story. You can almost smell the coal smoke and the old wood.

It's a short watch, so even if you don't love it, you haven't lost your whole afternoon. It’s better than sitting through something bloated and fake.

If you've seen Kiss Me, Maritsa, this is the exact opposite of that energy. It’s quiet, grey, and very grounded.

Overall, Entotsuya Perô is a solid little piece of history. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s honest, and that counts for a lot in my book. 🧹