Hanneles Himmelfahrt (1934) is a weirdly sad fever dream

Is it worth the watch?

If you are in the mood to feel a bit sad and look at some really old German Expressionism leftovers, then yeah, give it a look.

But if you want something fun like Hard to Handle, you should probably stay far away from this one. 🏃‍♂️

It is definitely for the people who like 'misery cinema' where everything is grey and wet until the weird stuff starts happening.

I think most people today would find it a bit too slow or maybe just too depressing for a Tuesday night.

So, I sat down with Hanneles Himmelfahrt because I was curious about how they handled 'heaven' in 1934 Germany.

The movie starts out in a way that feels very heavy.

Hannele is played by Inge Landgut, and she just looks exhausted from the very first frame.

Her stepfather is a real piece of work, played by Klaus Pohl, who manages to look scary just by standing in a doorway.

The house they live in looks like it smells like damp wood and old soup. 🥣

I noticed how the camera lingers on the dirty floors and the way Hannele hides in the corners.

It’s not subtle at all, but it works to make you feel bad for her.

Then she tries to drown herself, which is a pretty dark turn for an old movie like this.

The scene at the water is actually filmed quite well, with the mist and the darkness making it feel very lonely.

After she gets rescued, the movie basically stays in one room for a long time.

She’s in the almshouse, and the lighting gets all dramatic and streaky.

This is where the movie stops being a gritty drama and turns into a fever dream.

Thea von Harbou wrote this, and you can tell she likes the big, sweeping emotional stuff.

The transition into Hannele’s hallucinations is a bit clunky, but I kind of liked the roughness of it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Hanneles Himmelfahrt (1934) through its definitive frames.

Suddenly there are angels everywhere. 👼

But these aren't the cute Hallmark angels you see nowadays.

They are tall and stiff and they have these very intense stares that made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

One of the angels looks exactly like her schoolteacher, which is a bit of a weird touch if you think about it.

The special effects are obviously very old-school, with lots of double exposures and bright lights.

Sometimes the angels look like they are just cardboard cutouts being moved around behind her bed.

I think it actually adds to the charm, though.

It feels like a stage play that someone tried to turn into a movie without quite knowing how to do the magic parts.

There’s this one shot where Hannele sees herself in a coffin, and it’s genuinely spooky. ⚰️

The way the light hits her face makes her look like a marble statue.

It reminded me a bit of the melodrama in No Other Woman, but much more religious and grim.

Rudolf Klein-Rogge shows up too, and he’s always a treat to see in these old films.

He has this presence that just takes over the screen, even if he’s not doing much.

The movie goes on a bit too long with the singing and the heavenly talk toward the end.

I found myself checking how much time was left because the 'ascension' part starts to feel repetitive.

It’s like the director really wanted to show off every single angel costume they had in the wardrobe.

I wish they had focused more on the reality of her life instead of spending 40 minutes in the clouds.

The music is also very loud and constant. 🎺

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Hanneles Himmelfahrt (1934) through its definitive frames.

It never really lets you just sit with the silence of the room.

But I guess that’s just how they did things back then.

There is a scene where her stepfather comes back in a vision and he’s being judged.

That part was actually pretty satisfying to watch, even if it was just in her head.

I did notice a weird mistake where a shadow of a crew member seemed to flicker on the wall during a 'heaven' scene.

It’s funny how those little things stand out when you’re watching closely.

The ending is exactly what you think it’s going to be, so don't expect a twist.

It’s a very straightforward tragedy with a shiny coat of religious paint on top.

I don't think I'd watch it again, but I’m glad I saw it once just for the visuals.

It feels like a dusty artifact you find in a basement that still has a bit of a weird energy to it.

If you liked The Third Kiss, you might find this interesting, but it's much heavier.

Anyway, it's a short movie, so it doesn't overstay its welcome too much.

Just make sure you have some chocolate or something nearby because it’s a real downer. 🍫

The way the girl talks to her dead mother's spirit is actually quite moving, in a pathetic way.

You can tell the actors were really giving it their all, even the ones playing the villagers who only have two lines.

The costumes for the poor people looked too clean in some shots, which bothered me a little.

But overall, it’s a solid bit of film history that shows how obsessed people were with the afterlife back then.

It's not a masterpiece, but it's definitely not boring if you like the weird stuff.

I'll probably be thinking about those creepy angels for a few days.