Jsem děvče s čertem v těle: A peek at 1933 charm

Is this worth a watch?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't go into Jsem děvče s čertem v těle expecting a masterpiece of the Lubitsch variety. It’s light, it’s dated, and it moves at the pace of a 1930s train, but if you have a soft spot for pre-war European fluff, you'll find something here to like. If you get bored by black-and-white comedies where people just talk in parlors for twenty minutes straight, maybe skip it.

The whole thing feels a bit like a curio, doesn't it? Knowing what happens to Lída Baarová later in her life—the whole Nazi Germany, wartime mess—makes watching her play this bubbly, slightly mischievous character feel a little heavy. You’re looking at her on screen, seeing her sparkle, and you can’t help but think about the dark turn her real-world story takes later on.

That said, the movie itself doesn't care about any of that. It’s just trying to be cute. There’s this recurring motif of the 'naughty wife' that keeps things moving, even when the script feels like it’s running out of gas.

The little details

• The dialogue is snappy, if a bit stagey, which is typical for the time.
• I spent way too much time looking at the furniture in the background. It’s very 1930s chic.
• There’s a scene involving a train that made me wonder if the actors were actually cold, or if they were just good at shivering.

It’s not quite on the level of something like (The Greeks Had a Word for Them), which has that sharper, more cynical edge. This is softer. It’s a bit like eating a pastry that’s been sitting on the counter for a few hours—still sweet, but definitely showing its age.

There are moments where the camera just lingers on Baarová’s face for an extra second, and you can see why she was a star. She’s got this way of looking at the camera like she knows something we don't. Or maybe she’s just trying to remember her lines. It’s hard to tell, but it’s captivating either way.

I caught myself drifting off a few times during the middle act. It just sort of meanders. It doesn't have the tight punch of, say, (Oil's Well), but it’s got a weird, earnest charm that kept me from turning it off. Sometimes a movie doesn't need to be brilliant to be worth your time; it just needs to be human.

I mean, the whole idea of the 'devil in the flesh' title is such a tease. You expect something scandalous, but it’s really just a comedy about people acting like people. Maybe that’s the real trick. Anyway, it’s a time capsule. Worth a look if you’re feeling curious. 📽️