Faithless is a messy, moody ride through the 30s

If you're looking for a tight, well-oiled machine of a movie, look elsewhere. Faithless is a bit of a train wreck, but it’s a train wreck with a lot of style and a lead actress who seems to be acting in a completely different movie than everyone else.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Faithless (1932) through its definitive frames.

Fans of pre-Code dramas might get a kick out of the sheer chaos here. If you prefer your plot to actually make sense or have a consistent tone, you’ll probably be annoyed after the first twenty minutes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Faithless (1932) through its definitive frames.

Tallulah Bankhead is just magnetic. She plays Carol with this weird, frantic energy that makes you wonder if she even knows what she’s doing next, which feels oddly authentic to someone who has no idea how the real world works.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Faithless (1932) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels like it’s vibrating at a high frequency. Then it just hits a wall.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Faithless (1932) through its definitive frames.

There’s a scene where she’s dealing with poverty and the Depression that is just… well, it’s a choice. It tries so hard to be gritty that it ends up feeling like a high-fashion photoshoot in a dumpster. It reminded me a little of the frantic, forced energy in The Whirlwind of Youth, where the stakes feel fake but the people are trying so hard.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Faithless (1932) through its definitive frames.

Robert Montgomery is there too, I guess. He mostly just stands around being the guy she breaks up with. It’s not his finest hour, but he does a good job of looking confused, which is honestly the only reasonable reaction to the plot.

Small things that stuck with me:

• The way Bankhead wears a coat like it’s a weapon.
• The pacing goes from zero to sixty and then just stops to look at the scenery.
• Some of the extras in the background look like they wandered over from a totally different set.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written on a napkin during a very busy lunch.

Is it a classic? Absolutely not. It’s one of those movies that’s imperfect in a way that feels human. It’s got a weird rhythm, like a song that skips a beat every now and then.

Sometimes the movie gets noticeably better when it stops trying to be a serious drama about the economy and just lets Bankhead be a total mess. I found myself wishing they’d just lean into that. 🙄

It’s definitely not as sharp as The Primitive Lover, but it’s got a weird, jagged personality that’s hard to completely hate.

Don't look for a moral. Don't look for logic. Just watch Bankhead navigate her own chaos and you'll probably get through it fine.