Hilda (1914) Review: Old Hats and Ghostly Faces

You should probably watch this if you like the feeling of being in a museum after hours. It is for the people who find old, scratched-up film reels more interesting than a modern blockbuster. If you need explosions or a plot that makes sense every second, you will absolutely hate this.

I found a copy of this that looked like it had been dragged through a gravel pit. The flickering is so intense it almost gives you a headache. But there is something about it.

The main thing here is Billie 'Swede' Hall. She has these eyes that are just massive on the screen. She was a vaudeville star, and you can tell because she moves her whole body to show she is sad. It is not subtle.

The movie starts with her in a room that looks like it’s made of cardboard. It probably was. There is a table and a chair, and that is about it. The lighting is weirdly harsh, making everyone look a bit like ghosts.

I noticed a fly crawling on the lens during one of the indoor scenes. It stayed there for about ten seconds. Nobody noticed, or maybe they couldn't afford to reshoot it. That is the kind of stuff I love about these old flicks.

It’s a lot slower than something like A Modern Musketeer. That one has a bit more energy. This one just sort of... exists.

There is a scene where she puts on a hat that is about three times the size of her head. It has all these feathers and bits of lace. It looks incredibly heavy. She has to tilt her head back just to see the other actors.

I wonder what people in 1914 thought about this. Was it just a boring Tuesday afternoon for them? Or did they think Billie was the coolest person alive? I bet it was a bit of both.

The way the film is cut is really jarring. One second she is standing by the window, and the next she is suddenly across the room. There are no transitions. It just snaps.

I actually think the silence makes it better. If there was a loud score, it might ruin the mood. The silence lets you focus on the dust dancing on the screen.

It reminded me a bit of the vibe in When Bearcat Went Dry. Just that raw, unpolished feeling of early cinema. It isn't trying to be fancy.

There is a guy in the movie who keeps adjusting his mustache. He does it like five times in one scene. I think he was nervous about the camera being so close. It makes him look like he has an itch he can't scratch.

The movie is dying, literally. The nitrate is eating itself away. In some shots, the edges of the frame are turning into white blobs. It looks like the movie is melting while you watch it.

I love that. It makes the whole experience feel temporary. Like you are seeing something that wont be here in another fifty years.

If you compare it to The Eagle, it feels much smaller. It doesn't have those big sets or the sweeping shots. It is just people in small rooms talking with their hands.

I think the script was probably only three pages long. Most of it is just Billie looking worried. She is very good at looking worried. She scrunches her eyebrows and holds her chest.

"The way she looks at the letter in the third act is the most dramatic thing I've seen all week."

The letter is just a white blur. We never see what it says. But she acts like it’s a death warrant. Maybe it was just a grocery bill.

I found myself staring at the background alot. There is a painting on the wall that is crooked. It stayed crooked the whole time. I kept wanting to reach into the screen and fix it.

The movie is quite short, but it feels long. Not in a bad way, just in a slow way. It’s like a long exhale. It doesn't have the weight of The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln, but it doesn't need to.

It’s just a slice of 1914. A very thin, dusty slice. I drank a cup of coffee while watching it and the coffee was gone before the movie ended. That's a good length for something like this.

Is Billie Hall a Star?

I dont know if she was a big deal back then. But she has the screen presence. She doesn't let you look at anyone else. Even when the mustache guy is doing his thing, you're watching her.

She has this one expression where she tilts her chin down and looks up. It’s very vamp-ish. It feels like she’s practicing for a much bigger movie that never got made.

I saw Simple Sis a while back and the acting there felt a bit more natural. This is definitely more on the theatrical side. But that’s the charm, I guess.

The ending is very abrupt. It just... stops. No big resolution, no grand finale. Just a black screen with some white scratches.

I sat there for a minute afterward. I was thinking about the people who made it. They are all gone now. Only this flickering ghost remains.

It makes you feel small. Which is a weird thing for a ten-minute silent movie to do. But it does.

If you find a link to this online, give it a look. Turn off the lights. Don't look at your phone. Just let the flickers happen.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie by today's standards. But it’s a real piece of history you can actually see.

I liked it more than I thought I would. It’s better than Destiny's Isle by a long shot. At least something happens here, even if it’s just a lady in a big hat looking sad.

• Billie's eyes are incredible.
• The hat is a character of its own.
• The film grain is very thick.
• The ending is too fast.

Anyway, that’s Hilda. A weird little ghost of a film. Go watch it if you're bored of the modern world for a bit.