Why Im Kampf mit der Unterwelt is a weirdly fun punch-up

If you are looking for something to watch tonight and you don't mind reading subtitles or just watching very expressive faces, this is worth it. You should watch it if you like those old German movies where everything looks like a shadow. If you hate slow movies where people stare at each other for ten minutes, maybe skip this one. But honestly, it is shorter than you think.

The movie stars Carlo Aldini. He is this big, muscular guy who was famous back then for doing his own stunts. He looks like he could break a table just by looking at it. It is funny because he is in the middle of this serious crime world but he moves like a gymnast.

The story is about the "Underworld." Which in 1930 meant a lot of guys in very expensive coats smoking in rooms with zero windows. I kept wondering how they breathed in there. There is a lot of smoke. Like, a lot.

I noticed this one scene where a guy is hiding behind a curtain. You can clearly see his shoes sticking out. Nobody in the movie notices. It made me laugh out loud because it was so obvious. But that is the charm of it.

Lydia Newerowskaja plays the lead woman. She has these giant eyes that look like they are permanently surprised. Every time something happens, the camera zooms in on her eyes. It happens about fifteen times. I started counting after the fifth time.

The bad guys are actually pretty scary. They don't talk much (well, it is silent, so they don't talk at all). They just loom. Fritz Greiner has a face that looks like it was carved out of a very angry rock.

Sig Arno is also in this. He is usually the funny guy in these movies. Here, he feels a bit out of place. It is like he wandered in from a different set and decided to stay. He makes these weird faces that don't always match the mood.

The pacing is a bit of a mess. It starts really fast with a chase. Then it just... stops. For like twenty minutes. People just sit around and look at maps or letters. I found myself checking my phone during the letter-reading scenes. My bad.

The sets are actually pretty cool. They have that weird German style where the hallways look too long. It makes the whole thing feel like a dream. Or a nightmare if you are the guy getting chased. Compared to something like Blackmail, it feels way less polished. But I kind of like that.

There is this one moment where Carlo Aldini jumps over a fence. He does it with so much extra energy. He didn't need to flip, but he did. It reminded me of those old circus performers. Pure showmanship.

I wish the ending was a bit better. It felt like they ran out of film and just decided to stop. Everything gets wrapped up in about two minutes. One guy gets punched, another guy gets arrested, and then... poof. The end.

It is not as deep as The White Lie. It doesn't try to be. It just wants to show you some tough guys and some dark rooms. And sometimes, that is exactly what you want on a Tuesday night.

The music in the copy I saw was all over the place. Sometimes it was really loud piano. Sometimes it was just quiet. It added to the dreamy, slightly broken feeling of the whole thing.

One more thing. The hats. The hats in this movie are incredible. Everyone has a different hat. I think there was a specific budget just for headwear. There is a guy with a bowler hat that looks two sizes too small. He looks ridiculous but he’s supposed to be a hitman.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Probably not even close. But it has this energy that you don't see in modern movies. It feels hand-made. Even the mistakes feel like they belong there.

• Best moment: The fight in the warehouse where a chair gets smashed for no reason.
• Worst moment: The long, long scene where they read a very boring telegram.
• Vibe: Dark, dusty, and slightly sweaty.

If you enjoy exploring the weird corners of film history, give it a go. It is better than some of the other stuff from that year like Fantasia 'e surdate. At least this one has Carlo Aldini jumping over things. 🥊

I think I missed some of the plot because the titles were moving too fast. Or maybe the plot just didn't matter that much. It’s about the feeling of being in a dangerous city. The city looks like it’s made of cardboard and shadows. I love that.

The fight scenes are actually pretty well choreographed for 1930. They don't look like the fake wrestling you see in other movies from that era. People actually look like they are getting hit. Or at least, they are very good at pretending.

Anyway, go watch it if you find a copy. It’s a bit rough around the edges. But that’s why it’s good. It’s real. It’s Im Kampf mit der Unterwelt. Even the name sounds like a punch in the face.