DbcultAccessing Vault...
5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Mendelssohn's Spring Song remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have three minutes to spare and a weird obsession with how people looked in 1910, then yeah, give this a watch. If you need things like plot or character arcs or sound, you are going to absolutely hate it.
It’s barely a movie by today’s standards. It feels more like a saved TikTok from a ghost.
The whole thing is just Herman Roessle sitting at a piano. He’s trying to play 'Spring Song' and he looks incredibly stressed about it.
I don't know why he's so twitchy. Maybe it was the stage lights or maybe he just really hated Mendelssohn.
The set looks like it was put together in about twenty minutes. There is this heavy curtain in the back that looks like it’s dusty enough to cause a sneezing fit across a century.
Roessle has this magnificent mustache. It’s the real star of the film, honestly.
He keeps looking off-camera like he’s expecting someone to throw a brick at him. It’s got that high-energy panic you see in other shorts from that era, like It's a Bird, even though that one came much later and had way more of a budget.
The film quality is... well, it’s 114 years old. It’s grainy and looks like it was dragged through a gravel pit, which I actually kind of love.
There’s a flickering quality that makes everything feel like a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on how much you like old piano music.
I noticed at one point his sleeve looks a bit frayed. It’s a tiny detail, but it makes the whole thing feel more human and less like a 'historic artifact'.
The humor is all in the physical frustration. He hits the keys with this weirdly aggressive motion that doesn't match the light, airy vibe of the actual song.
It’s not exactly the high-stakes drama of Mata Hari. It’s just a guy and his piano against the world.
I found myself wondering if he actually knew how to play the song. Since it's silent, he could have been playing 'Chopsticks' for all we know.
There is a moment where he turns his head really fast. The motion blur is so bad he looks like a blur for a second.
It’s much shorter than something like The Highest Bid, so you don't really have time to get bored. It just happens and then it's over.
I’ve seen some other stuff from this period, like Le berceau de dieu, and that felt way more 'important'. This just feels like a guy having a bad day at work.
It’s funny how little has changed. We still make videos of ourselves failing at hobbies today.
Roessle was just the original 'fail video' pioneer. I wonder if he knew people would be looking at his forehead in high definition a century later.
The lighting is super harsh on the left side. It washes out half his face in some shots.
I suspect the camera was hand-cranked because the speed feels slightly off. He moves like he’s had about six espressos.
If you're looking for something more substantial, you'd be better off with The Heritage of the Desert. This is just a snack.
Actually, it's not even a snack. It's like a single grape.
But hey, it's a cool grape. It reminds me of the weird energy in The Sideshow where things just feel slightly 'off'.
"He plays the piano like he's trying to punish it for something it said earlier."
I wrote that in my notes while watching. It still feels accurate.
Anyway, don't go into this expecting a masterpiece. It’s a fragment of a world that doesn't exist anymore.
It’s better than Winning with Wits if only because it doesn't overstay its welcome. It knows it’s a joke and it gets out fast.
I’m glad I watched it, mostly so I can say I did. It’s like a digital merit badge for film nerds.
Check it out if you're bored. Or if you just really like mustaches.
IMDb —
1928
Community
Log in to comment.
