Er und sein Diener: A bit of old-fashioned chaos

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s comedies that rely heavily on doors opening and closing at the wrong moments, you might dig this. If you need your movies to have a tight pace or actual logic, stay far away. It’s basically a stage play that decided to wander onto a film set. ☕

Thea Grodyn is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Honestly, without her, the whole thing would just be people shouting in rooms. There’s a specific scene where she tries to look innocent while chaos erupts behind her, and it’s the only part that really landed for me.

The rhythm is... weird.

It feels like it was filmed in a hurry. Sometimes the camera just sits there while two people argue, and it feels less like a stylistic choice and more like they ran out of film or money. Whatever it is, it works in a weird way.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Er und sein Diener (1931) through its definitive frames.

I found myself comparing it to Good References in my head. They share that same DNA of people pretending to be someone they aren't just to get through the day. It’s a classic trope, but here it feels like they are wearing the masks a little too tight.

Little things I noticed:

• The wallpaper in the living room set is genuinely distracting.
• There is a moment near the middle where a character forgets their line, or maybe they just really paused for a long time. It felt so human.
• The music tries way too hard to tell you when to laugh.

It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to get to the next punchline without tripping over its own feet. Does it succeed? Only about half the time. The rest is just noise and frantic arm gestures.

If you’ve seen The Charleston, you’ll notice a similar vibe in how the actors treat the space around them. They move like they’re still on a stage, projecting to the back row even when the camera is right in their face. It’s charming in a goofy, outdated way.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece. I wouldn't even call it a 'hidden gem.' It's just a movie that exists. Sometimes that’s enough for a rainy Tuesday night. 🌧️