History Is Made at Night: A Strange, Sweeping Mix of Romance and Anxiety

If you have a soft spot for movies that refuse to pick a lane, you might actually like History Is Made at Night. It starts as a snappy drama about a woman trying to ditch a controlling husband, then suddenly pivots into this sweeping, slightly unhinged romance. If you’re looking for a tight, logical script, look elsewhere. But if you want to watch Jean Arthur be charming while everything around her slowly catches fire, you’re in the right place.

The husband is the kind of villain who is so petty it’s almost impressive. He doesn't just want a divorce; he wants to orchestrate a grand tragedy just to prove a point. It’s a bit much, honestly.

Charles Boyer plays the Parisian waiter, and he’s doing that thing where he looks at the camera like he’s trying to memorize the soul of the audience. It works, though. There’s this one sequence in a restaurant where the timing feels like a dance. It’s light, breezy, and then—wham—the mood shifts into something much darker.

The Pacing Rollercoaster

• The dialogue zips along like a ping-pong ball until it suddenly hits a wall of melodrama.
• Some of the extras in the background look like they’ve been standing in the same spot for three days straight.
• The transition from a fancy hotel to an ocean liner feels like moving between two different movies glued together by a fever dream.

I kept thinking about Bride of Vengeance while watching this, mainly because both films have a weird way of handling high-stakes manipulation. They both feel like they’re trying to build a castle out of popsicle sticks and sheer willpower.

There is a moment near the end involving a sinking ship that is just… baffling. It feels like the director suddenly remembered they were making a disaster movie halfway through the third act. It’s not graceful, but it’s certainly memorable.

Jean Arthur really carries the whole thing. She has this way of looking exhausted yet hopeful that makes you forgive the fact that the ex-husband is basically a cartoon character. You just want her to get on a boat and stay there.

It’s not a perfect film. It’s not even a particularly consistent one. But I found myself checking my phone less than usual. That counts for something these days.

Sometimes the best movies are the ones that don't know when to stop being silly and start being serious.

If you're in the mood for something that feels like a dusty, half-forgotten postcard from the thirties, give it a shot. Just don't ask too many questions about the plot. The plot is the least interesting thing happening here. 🚢✨