Hangmen, Women and Soldiers (1935) - Hans Albers fights himself

If you have got a rainy Sunday and a weird tolerance for early 1930s German political cinema, Hangmen, Women and Soldiers is actually kind of a trip. Anyone looking for a breezy war movie will absolutely despise this, but history nerds who want to see Hans Albers play two different guys will have a blast. 🛩️

Basically, Albers plays Captain von Rittinghausen, a pilot who gets fed up with how soft germany is after WWI and heads to Russia to fight the Bolsheviks. But here is the kicker: Albers also plays his own cousin, a Russian general named Ostrow.

It is just as ridiculous as it sounds. The movie tries so hard to make these two look like completely different people, but it is literally just the same guy with a slightly different mustache and an angrier squint.

There is this one scene where they "meet" and you can practically see the split-screen line down the middle of the frame. It actually made me laugh out loud because of how stiff they both stand to avoid crossing the line.

The whole thing has this very heavy, sweaty atmosphere. The lighting is super dark, almost like they were trying to save money on the electric bill. 💡

Charlotte Susa is there too, looking incredibly stressed out the entire time. Her character is basically caught in the middle of this family feud, and she spends most of her screen time looking like she regrets every decision that led her to this set.

The action scenes are pretty sparse. If you are expecting epic battles, you will be disappointed because it is mostly men in heavy coats shouting in small rooms.

Though, the early flying scenes do have a bit of that raw, windy energy you get in the mountain films like Der Berg des Schicksals, even if the planes here look like they are held together by glue and prayers.

Also, I have to mention the guy who plays the communist commander. He has this incredibly intense way of smoking. He does not just puff it; he grips the cigarette like it owes him money.

The movie just kind of... stops. The ending is so abrupt it feels like the director just decided he had had enough and went home.

It is definitely a relic. But as a piece of bizarre, nationalistic melodrama, it is weirdly fascinating to watch unfold.