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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
You should watch this today if you have about an hour and want to feel genuinely anxious. If you hate old movies where people talk like they are on a stage, you will probaly want to skip it.
It is a strange little film from 1930 that feels like a play because, well, it was one. But the tension is real.
The whole thing is about Lillian, played by Marcelle Chantal, who is miserable with her rich, jerk husband. She decides to run away with her lover, but then something terrible happens in his apartment right before they leave.
Suddenly, the movie isn't about romance anymore. It’s about her trying to get back home before her husband notices she was ever gone.
The ticking clock is basically the main character. You can almost feel the sweat on the film strip.
Marcelle Chantal has these giant, expressive eyes that look like they are about to pop out of her head. She spends half the movie looking at the door like a ghost is about to walk through it.
Her husband, played by Max Maxudian, is so mean it’s almost funny. He has this way of looming over people that makes you want to hide under your seat.
Then there is Hubert Daix. He shows up and just feels out of place, like he walked onto the wrong set but decided to stay anyway.
It reminds me a bit of the stiff energy in The Beloved Vagabond, but much darker.
The movie is based on a play by J.M. Barrie. Yeah, the Peter Pan guy. It is definitely not for kids, though.
The way it handles the "half hour" concept is pretty smart. You feel every single minute passing.
I found myself looking at my own watch even though I knew how much time was left in the video. That is good directing, I guess.
It’s not as grand as something like Phroso, but it’s much more intimate. It feels small and suffocating in a way that works for the story.
There is this one shot of a telephone that lingers for way too long. It’s supposed to be dramatic, but I just started counting the buttons on it. ☎️
The ending is... abrupt. It just kind of stops. I sat there for a second wondering if I missed a scene, but no, that’s just how they did it back then.
Lillian’s hat is honestly incredible. It’s so big it probably had its own zip code. 👒
There is a moment where a character pours a drink and the sound of the liquid is way louder than the dialogue. Early sound technology was such a mess, and I kind of love it for that.
You can tell they were still figuring out where to put the microphones. People keep leaning toward random flower vases when they talk.
If you’ve seen A Naked Soul, you’ll recognize that same kind of earnest but clunky vibe. It’s charming if you are in the right mood.
"I only need thirty minutes to change my life."
That line is basically the whole movie. And man, she really tries to make those thirty minutes count.
Is it a masterpiece? No. It’s a bit dusty and the melodrama is laid on thick with a shovel.
But for a movie that is almost a hundred years old, it kept me from checking my phone. That is a win in my book. 🎞️
If you find a copy that isn't too blurry, give it a look. Just don't expect a happy ending where everyone gets a hug.
It’s a cold, nervous little film that shows how quickly everything can fall apart. And it does it without any explosions or car chases.
Just a woman, a clock, and a very bad day.
IMDb —
1914
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