Watching Gost iz Mekki felt like looking through a dusty window

If you have a free afternoon and like movies that feel like a time capsule, you might want to give this a look. It is definitely not for people who need explosions or fast talking to stay awake.

I think people who love old photography or history will find something to like here. Everyone else will probably turn it off after ten minutes because it moves like molasses.

The first thing I noticed was the dust. There is so much dust in the air in almost every outdoor scene that you can practically smell the dry heat through the screen.

The main guy comes back from Mecca and you can tell right away he feels out of place. He has this look on his face like he just woke up from a hundred-year nap.

The way B. Shelestov-Zauze plays the character is very stiff. It is that old-school style where every eye movement is supposed to mean something huge.

Sometimes the camera just stares at a group of men sitting in a circle for what feels like an eternity. It reminds me a bit of the slow pacing in The Great Shadow, where the silence does the heavy lifting.

I really liked the hats. The costumes are so thick and heavy looking, and I kept wondering how the actors didn't pass out in the sun.

There is a scene where they are talking about new technology and the contrast between the old beards and the new machines is pretty funny. It feels like the movie is trying to tell you that the future is coming whether you want it or not.

It’s not as dramatic as something like Samson und Delila. It feels much more grounded and, well, a bit grimy.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Gost iz Mekki (1930) through its definitive frames.

Heiri Emirzade has a very intense screen presence. Every time he is in the shot, the energy goes up a little bit, even if he isn't doing much.

One thing that bothered me was the editing. A few cuts happen so fast that I had to blink and make sure I didn't miss a person entering the room.

It has that weird jerky motion you get from these old films. It makes the serious parts look a little bit like a cartoon if you aren't used to it.

I found myself thinking about The Barricade while watching this. Both movies have this heavy feeling of people being stuck between two different worlds.

There is a goat in one scene that just stares directly into the lens. It’s a small thing, but it made me laugh because it felt so accidental.

The lighting in the indoor scenes is actually pretty good. They use these deep shadows that make the small rooms feel very cramped and uncomfortable.

It is a propaganda movie at the end of the day. You can tell it wants you to think one way is better than the other, but I just liked looking at the faces.

The ending feels a bit rushed. It’s like they ran out of film and just decided to stop wherever they were.

If you've seen things like Out of the Storm, you know how these silent dramas can get a bit melodramatic. Gost iz Mekki stays a bit more quiet, which I appreciated.

It isn't a masterpiece, but it is a solid piece of history. Just make sure you have some coffee nearby if you decide to sit through it.