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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Honestly, you should only put this on if you have a high tolerance for grainy film and actors who look like they’ve had six espressos before every take. If you like seeing how the French mocked Americans a hundred years ago, you will probably get a kick out of it.
If you want a tight plot or logic, stay far away from this one. It’s a mess, but sort of a sweet mess? 🍷
The whole thing feels like it was filmed on a dare. Marcel Vallée plays the American father, and he spends about 80% of his screen time looking like he just smelled something very bad.
It’s that classic silent movie thing where every emotion is dialed up to eleven. If someone is happy, they don't just smile; they practically vibrate off the screen.
The Newberry family is supposed to be these rich Americans coming to the 'Old World' to find some culture. Or a husband for the daughter. I think? 🤷♂️
Danièle Parola is the daughter, and she’s actually the most normal person in the whole cast. She has these wide eyes that seem to be apologizing for the rest of the movie’s energy.
There is a scene at a dinner table where the editing gets really choppy. One second a guy is holding a glass, the next second it’s just gone.
It reminded me of the weird pacing in The Red Viper, though that’s a totally different vibe. Here, the jump cuts just make it feel like the cameraman fell asleep for a second.
The costumes are the real stars here. I cannot emphasize the hats enough.
The women are wearing these things that look like overturned flower pots. I kept wondering how they could see anything in front of them.
There is this one guy, Aimé Simon-Girard, who plays a Marquis. He spends a lot of time trying to look noble while looking like he’s about to trip over his own feet.
The movie gets slightly better once they stop trying to explain the "business" plot. No one cares about the business stuff, Abel Hermant (the writer) should have known we just wanted to see the social awkwardness.
It’s definitely not as depressing as Wild Oranges, thank goodness. That movie is a lot, but this is just... light. Like a soufflé that didn't quite rise.
I noticed a dog in the background of one of the street scenes. It looked more confused than I was about what was happening in the scene.
The dog just stands there for like five seconds staring directly at the camera. It’s the most honest moment in the entire film.
I wonder if the director even noticed it was there. Probably not, they were too busy making sure the actors were waving their arms enough.
There’s a bit of a romance subplot that feels very tacked on. It’s like they realized at the 40-minute mark that someone needed to fall in love.
It doesn't have the weird charm of Sax Appeal, which is a movie I still think about sometimes for all the wrong reasons. This one is more forgettable, but pleasant while it's happening.
One reaction shot of the mother lingers for way too long. She’s just standing there with this frozen grin while the scene behind her has clearly ended.
It makes you wonder if the film got stuck in the projector for a second. But no, that’s just the editing style of 1928, I guess.
If you've seen The Cinderella Man, you might recognize that kind of frantic energy. But *Les transatlantiques* doesn't have the same heart.
It’s mostly just people being extra. Which is fine if you're in the mood for it.
The ending is very abrupt. Everything just... stops.
It’s like the money ran out and they just said, "Okay, that's enough, everyone go home." It’s sort of refreshing in a way.
I’m not saying you need to hunt this down. It’s a bit of a relic, like finding an old postcard in a thrift store that you can't quite read.
But if you find it on a streaming service for free, it’s a decent way to spend an hour. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. 🎬
I keep thinking about the father’s mustache. It’s so perfectly groomed it almost looks fake, like it might fall off if he sneezes too hard.
Actually, I think it might have shifted slightly between scenes. I’d have to go back and check, but I don’t really want to watch it again that closely.
It has that same sort of clunky charm you find in Timothy Dobbs, That's Me. It’s trying so hard to be funny that it becomes funny for the wrong reasons.
Overall, its a weird little piece of history. Not a masterpiece, but not a total disaster either.
IMDb 4
1917
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