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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Man's Way with Women remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old black-and-white dramas that focus on stubborn men and even more stubborn women, you’ll probably find something to like here. If you need pacing faster than a slow-moving river, skip it. It’s a bit of a slog at times, but the log-rolling stuff is genuinely wild.
Olof is exactly the kind of guy who thinks being a local flirt is a full-time job. He’s got that specific kind of confidence that only exists in movies from this era, where a guy thinks he can fix any problem with a smirk and a bit of physical bravado. It gets old, but it works for the story.
The whole bit with the log-rolling is genuinely stressful. You can tell they actually put someone out there on those logs, and the water looks freezing. It’s not like those smooth, fake-looking sets you see in By the Light of the Silvery Moon. This feels dirty and dangerous.
There’s a moment where Olof stares down the rapids, and you can just feel the movie wanting you to think he’s some kind of mythical hero. It’s a bit much. But then he almost slips, and for a second, he just looks like a terrified kid. That little crack in the armor was my favorite part.
The dialogue is thick. Sometimes it feels like they’re trying to pack an entire novel into one conversation. People don’t talk like this, but then again, nobody really did back then either. It’s all very theatrical, especially compared to something like Dragnet Girl where things felt a bit more grounded in the city grit.
It’s not a perfect movie. Sometimes the scenes just sort of end without much of a point. It’s like the editor was working on a schedule and just decided, 'Yeah, that's enough of that.' I kind of respect that, in a weird way. It avoids the bloat.
Overall, it’s a strange little relic. If you’ve seen The Sign of the Cross and want something that feels smaller and way more localized, this fits the bill. Just don’t expect a masterpiece. It’s just a story about a guy who needs to grow up, set against some very wet wood. 🪵
IMDb —
1919
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