I Loved a Woman: Edward G. Robinson in a suit he can't quite fill

Is this thing worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re a completionist for Edward G. Robinson or just really fascinated by 1930s meat-packing logistics. If you want a tight, punchy drama, keep walking. If you like movies that feel like they were stitched together by three different people who weren't talking to each other, you might find some charm here.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I Loved a Woman (1933) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels a bit damp, if that makes sense. It’s about a guy who wants to be an artist but gets dragged into the family business, which is selling meat. You’d think that would be enough drama, but then he marries Kay Francis, who plays the kind of social climber who probably practices her sneers in the mirror before breakfast.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I Loved a Woman (1933) through its definitive frames.

Robinson is always watchable, but here he looks like he’s playing dress-up. He’s trying to be this tortured, sensitive soul, but the movie keeps forcing him to do these big, loud business maneuvers that don't fit the character. It’s like watching a cat try to run a construction site. 🐱

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I Loved a Woman (1933) through its definitive frames.

The meat-packing problem

There is a lot of talk about 'meat purity' early on. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that phrase so many times in a ninety-minute span. It’s weirdly specific, and yet, the movie doesn't seem to care about the actual business at all. It’s just background noise for his wife, Martha, to yell at him about how he’s not rich enough yet.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I Loved a Woman (1933) through its definitive frames.

Speaking of Martha, she is the most one-note character I’ve seen in a long time. Every line she has is basically, 'Why aren't you a monster yet?' It gets old fast. You kind of want John to just pack his bags for Greece by the twenty-minute mark.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of I Loved a Woman (1933) through its definitive frames.

When the war stuff kicks in, the movie loses its mind. Suddenly, we're talking about tainted meat contracts. It feels like someone dropped a script for a totally different movie into this one. It lacks the focus of something like Doctor Bull, which manages to keep its grumpy lead grounded in a real place.

• The scene where he’s trying to support a singer while hiding his identity is painfully awkward.
• The set design for the meat factory looks like it was made of cardboard and hope.
• Robinson’s attempts at looking 'artistic' usually just involve him holding a paintbrush like it’s a dangerous weapon.

There’s a moment near the end where everything falls apart for him. He’s indicted, his wife is probably off buying another hat, and he’s just… looking sad. It’s meant to be tragic, but I mostly just felt relieved for him. He finally gets to leave the office.

It’s not a bad movie, exactly. It’s just… thin. Like a piece of meat left on the counter too long. You see the effort, you see the stars, but the flavor is mostly gone.