Heiratsfieber: A messy, fun farm strike movie

You should probably watch Heiratsfieber if you are in the mood for something that feels like a loud, busy stage play from another century. It is perfect for people who like vintage comedies where the stakes are high but also kind of ridiculous. If you hate old movies where people talk over each other, you will probably want to turn this off after ten minutes.

The whole thing takes place at this farm-castle. It looks a bit drafty, honestly. 🏰

The main problem is the Count. He is being a total jerk and won't let Loni, the miller's daughter, marry his chamber help. I couldn't really figure out why he was so against it, other than him just being stubborn for the sake of the plot.

Loni is played by Maria Paudler and she has this very intense energy. She spent a lot of time looking hopeful, which made me feel bad for her because the Count is such a pill. 🙄

The best part of the movie is definitely when the women decide they are done. They go on strike. It is not exactly a deep political statement, but seeing them just refuse to do anything while the men scramble is pretty funny.

Fritz Kampers is in this and he is great as usual. He has this face that looks like a confused potato and it always makes me smile. There is one bit where he is trying to handle the strike and he looks like he’s never seen a woman before.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Heiratsfieber (1928) through its definitive frames.

Some of the scenes go on a bit too long. Like, there is a conversation in the kitchen that could have been half as long and we would have gotten the point. It felt like they were just trying to use up the film reel sometimes. 🎞️

I noticed the sound is really crunchy in a few places. I don't know if it's the copy I saw or just how it was recorded, but it adds to the charm I guess. It’s better than the overly polished stuff we get now that has no soul.

If you enjoy this kind of vibe, you might also like The Open Road, which has a similar feeling of just being a slice of time. But Heiratsfieber is much louder. Seriously, the shouting is non-stop toward the end.

The "chamber help" character is a bit of a blank slate. I actually forgot his name while watching because the women are so much more interesting. He just kind of follows people around and looks worried about his wedding. 👰

The ending is exactly what you expect. It doesn't try to surprise you, which is honestly kind of nice. Sometimes you just want to see the grumpy old man lose and the young people win.

It’s a bit messy and the editing is jumpy. One second someone is standing by a door, and the next they are halfway across the yard. It made me wonder if they lost some footage or just didn't care. 😂

Anyway, it is a fun watch if you don't think too hard. It’s about marriage fever, after all, not rocket science.