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5.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hans livs match remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you hate old black-and-white sports movies with crackly audio, skip this. But if you like weirdly specific historical details, Hans livs match is actually kinda fun.
It is a 1932 Swedish film about Gunnar, a regular mason worker who happens to be really good at football. Like, good enough to play against Denmark in the big national match. 🇸🇪⚽
The plot is super basic. Shady guys in hats offer Gunnar a bribe to throw the game, and he has to decide between easy money or his honor.
I love how the movie shows actual bricklaying in the beginning. Gunnar is just slapping mortar onto bricks, and you can tell the actor actually knows how to do it. Or at least, he looks convincing enough to me.
There is this one guy in the crowd who keeps waving his hat. He does it in almost every wide shot of the stadium, and once you notice him, you can't look at anything else. 🎩
The football match itself is hilarious. It looks like it was filmed on a muddy school field, not a grand national stadium.
The players run around in these massive, heavy-looking shorts that go down to their knees. It looks like they are running through water.
It reminded me a bit of another old sports film, A Sporting Chance, but with more dirt and fewer horses.
There is a scene where Gunnar is talking to his girl, and a dog just walks into the background and starts sniffing a bucket. Nobody stops the scene. They just keep acting, and I absolutely love stuff like that.
But there is a real charm to it. It does not try to be some grand masterpiece.
It is just a simple story about a guy who wants to do the right thing and kick a ball. The ending is exactly what you expect, but it still makes you smile.