Es flüstert die Liebe: A very polite trip to Italy

Is it worth the time?

If you have a soft spot for dusty, black-and-white comedies where the stakes are mostly just bruised egos and secret rendezvous, you'll probably get a kick out of Es flüstert die Liebe. If you need your movies to move fast or actually have a point beyond 'people being silly,' maybe skip this. It’s very much a product of its time—light, fluffy, and completely harmless.

The whole premise is built on that classic lie: 'I’m going to Italy to buy horses, Mother.' It’s the kind of thing you’d see in a play like Old Heidelberg where the aristocrats are just bored out of their minds. Our count is clearly just looking for an excuse to chase skirts, and honestly, the movie doesn't judge him for it. It just lets him run around and cause trouble.

The vibe

There's this one scene in a café where the background extras look like they’ve been told to just sit there and not move a muscle for three hours. It’s almost hypnotic. You can see one guy in the back trying not to sneeze, and it’s way more interesting than the actual dialogue happening in the foreground. Sometimes the best part of these old films is just watching the people in the back.

The dialogue is snappy, maybe a little too snappy. It feels like everyone is constantly trying to one-up each other with witty remarks that nobody would actually say in real life. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in What a Bozo!, where the chaos is supposed to be funny, but sometimes it’s just exhausting.

Small things that caught my eye

• The count's mustache seems to have a life of its own. It’s a very distracting piece of grooming.
• The way they handle the 'Italy' sets is hilarious. You can tell they never left the studio lot, but they’re working so hard to convince us they’re in a Mediterranean paradise.
• The music swells up at the most random moments. Like, someone says 'hello' and the violins go absolutely nuts.

It’s not trying to be a deep dive into the human condition. It’s just a movie about people being messy. There’s a bit of that same charm found in Masquerade, where the clothes are nicer than the people wearing them. Don't go in expecting a life-changing experience. Just enjoy the ride for what it is.

I found myself zoning out during the third act. The plot gets a little tangled, and honestly, it stops mattering who is supposed to be where. You just kind of watch them wander through doors and make faces. It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon if you’ve got nothing better to do. 🥂