DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Face in the Sky remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Should you watch Face in the Sky? If you are a sucker for Spencer Tracy early in his career, then yes. Absolutely. If you prefer movies where the plot actually makes sense or characters behave like human beings, you are going to be annoyed within the first twenty minutes.
It starts with these two sign painters just wandering through New England. It is a vibe. The whole setup feels like a relic from a time when hitchhiking was just a normal Tuesday. Then Madge shows up, hides in the back, and the movie suddenly turns into this weird kidnapping farce that nobody really asked for.
There is something hypnotic about watching the painting scenes. The brush strokes look real, and for a few minutes, you forget about the forced marriage plot. It is like the movie wants to be a gritty look at blue-collar work, but then it remembers it is supposed to be a romantic comedy and ruins it.
I found myself wondering if anyone actually painted signs that high up in the thirties without falling. Spencer Tracy has this look on his face like he is constantly trying to figure out why he signed the contract for this project. He is great, though. Even when the dialogue feels like it was written on a cocktail napkin during a lunch break.
The pacing is a total mess. One minute they are in a field, the next they are staring at a gargantuan billboard in the city. It reminds me of the chaotic transitions in The Conquest of Canaan, where you just have to accept that the characters teleported because the budget ran out.
There is a scene near the middle where they are just standing around talking about money. It goes on for about thirty seconds too long. You can actually hear the silence in the room. It is not tense, it is just… empty. It feels like the actors forgot their lines and were waiting for someone to yell cut, but the director just left the camera rolling.
It is not a masterpiece. It is barely a coherent story. But it has this weird, scruffy charm that reminds me of Good References. Sometimes you do not want a polished product. You want to see people from 1933 trying to make a movie about signs, kidnapping, and the big city, and failing to stick the landing in the best way possible. 🎨
IMDb —
1930
Community
Log in to comment.
