L'appassionata (1929) - A lot of piano and even more drama

Is this movie worth your time today? If you like old French silents and don't mind a story that moves as slow as molasses, then yes. 🎹

But honestly, if you need a lot of dialogue or fast cuts to stay awake, stay far away from this one. You’ll probably hate how much time they spend just looking at each other.

I watched this late at night and it kind of fits that mood. It’s all about Léon Mathot playing this famous pianist who looks like he’s carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders.

His face is so tired. I kept wondering if the actor actually knew how to play the piano or if he was just hitting random keys while the camera was off his hands.

The story is pretty simple, maybe too simple for how long it feels. It’s a love triangle, which we’ve seen a million times in movies like Blue Blood or even The Show.

There is this one scene where a candle is flickering in the background and it’s the only light in the room. It’s beautiful in a way that feels accidental, even though I know it wasn't.

Thérèse Kolb plays the mother, and she is probably the best part of the whole thing. She doesn't need title cards to tell you she's worried; you can see it in how she holds her shawl.

Sometimes the movie gets a bit too much. Like when the younger woman, played by Ruth Weyher, shows up and the music (if you have a score playing) probably goes crazy.

She has this way of looking into the camera that feels like she’s trying to see into your soul. Or maybe she’s just trying to remember her next line. 🕯️

I noticed a weird thing in the background of one shot. There is a painting on the wall that looks slightly crooked and it drove me crazy for about five minutes.

The pacing is really the biggest hurdle here. It feels much longer than it actually is because every emotion is stretched out until it almost snaps.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of L'appassionata (1929) through its definitive frames.

It reminds me a bit of the heavy atmosphere in Revelation, but with more French flair. Everyone is so elegantly miserable.

The way the director uses shadows on the walls is pretty cool, though. It makes the house feel like a prison, which I guess is the point since everyone is trapped by their feelings.

There’s a moment where a letter is delivered and the camera stays on the envelope for what feels like an hour. We get it, the letter is important! ✉️

I think the film loses its way a bit in the middle. It starts repeating the same emotional beats without really going anywhere new for a while.

If you've seen Broken Homes, you know how these domestic dramas can start to feel a bit suffocating. This one is no different.

Léon Mathot’s character is hard to like sometimes. He’s so dramatic about his art that he forgets he has a wife who is clearly suffering right in front of him.

But that’s silents for you. Everything is turned up to eleven.

The ending is... well, it's an ending. It felt a little bit rushed compared to how slow the rest of the movie was.

It’s like they realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap everything up fast. It’s not as satisfying as the climax in The Girl Philippa, that’s for sure.

Still, for a movie from 1929, it looks surprisingly sharp. The restoration I saw really brought out the textures of the dresses and the wood in the piano.

I’m glad I watched it, but I don't think I’d ever watch it again. It’s a one-time experience for when you want to feel a bit sophisticated and sad.

Anyway, if you like watching people ruin their lives over a pretty face, give it a go. Just bring some coffee to stay focused during the long piano solos. ☕