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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Hell on Earth remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have about ninety minutes and don't mind reading some subtitles, you should definitely give this a look. It is perfect for people who like movies where characters are forced into a small space together. People who want big Michael Bay explosions will probably hate it though.
The whole thing feels like a play that accidentally wandered onto a real battlefield. It was made in 1931, so the sound is a little scratchy and people sometimes act with their entire bodies like they are still in a silent movie. 🎥
It starts out with a bunch of quick shots showing different guys getting called to war. There is a French guy, a German guy, a British guy, a Jewish tailor, and an African dancer. It reminded me a little bit of the fast editing in Strike, but way less confusing.
Eventually, they all end up in this ruined cellar in No Man's Land. The set looks like it was built out of actual trash and wet dirt. I could almost smell the dampness through the screen. 🕯️
One of my favorite parts is how they can't understand a word the others are saying. The German guy talks, and the Frenchman just stares at him like he is an alien. They have to use hand signals to share a piece of bread or a cigarette.
There is this one guy, the tailor, who just wants to go back to his shop. He looks so small and out of place in his uniform. It makes the whole war look stupid and unnecessary, which I guess was the point.
The actor Louis Douglas plays the black soldier, and he is honestly the best part. He does this little dance to keep everyone's spirits up. It feels very real, like something soldiers would actually do to keep from losing their minds. 🕺
Sometimes the movie gets a bit too much into its own head. There is a long scene with a woman and a baby at the start that felt like it belonged in a different film. It reminded me of the melodrama in Bad Sister, just a bit out of place.
The ending is pretty wild because they decide they aren't enemies anymore. They just walk out together while the officers are screaming. It is bold for a movie made so close to when the actual war happened.
I noticed that the ruins they are in look like a giant skeleton. I don't know if that was on purpose or if the budget was just low. Either way, it looks cool and creepy. 💀
The music is kinda weird too. It comes in at strange times and then just stops. It is not like a modern movie where the music tells you exactly how to feel every second.
If you’ve seen West of Broadway, you know how those old talkies can be hit or miss. This one is a hit, mostly because it feels like the director actually cared about the message.
The way they use silence in the basement is great. You can hear the wind whistling through the cracks. It makes the moments when they finally laugh together feel much bigger. 😄
It is not a perfect movie. Some of the acting is way too theatrical and the pacing drags in the middle. But it has a lot of heart.
I think I liked it more because it wasn't trying to be a huge epic. It was just about five guys who realized they had no reason to hate each other. We could probably use more movies like that today. 🌍
IMDb —
1921
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