La voix du métal: A strange, dusty corner of cinema

Is this for you?

If you have a high tolerance for slow, talky, and slightly dusty black-and-white dramas, you might actually get a kick out of La voix du métal. If you need a fast plot or modern pacing, stay away. This movie moves like it’s wading through knee-deep water.

It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s human in a way that feels rare. The characters feel like they’re performing in a stage play that someone accidentally filmed. It’s got that weird, stiff energy you see in films like Nana, where everyone is trying to be elegant while everything is falling apart.

Notes from the couch

• The lighting in the second act is genuinely bizarre. Half the time, the actors' faces are half-hidden in shadows that don't seem to have a light source.
• There’s a moment with a staircase that lasts way too long. I think the editor just fell asleep at the desk?
• Edwige Feuillère is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Honestly, the rest of the cast seems to be waiting for her to tell them what to do next.

There’s this one scene where they’re talking about 'metal'—or maybe it's just the sound of the world, I don't know, it’s all very vague. It reminded me a bit of the tension in Sex in Chains, just way less intense and more focused on people staring into corners.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of La voix du métal (1934) through its definitive frames.

I found myself rewinding just to check if I missed a plot point. Turns out, I didn't. The plot isn't really the point, is it? It’s just people existing in rooms.

Some of the extras look like they wandered in from the set of While Paris Sleeps and just stayed in the background to collect a paycheck. You can see one guy in the back left just checking his watch. Classic.

It’s a bit of a slog, yeah. But there’s a strange, quiet dignity to how dated it feels. It doesn't care if you're bored. It’s just going to do its own thing, for better or worse. 🎞️