Mlody las: High school rebels in 1905

Is this for you?

If you like movies about students sticking it to the man, you will probably dig Mlody las. It is not for anyone who needs constant action or modern pacing, though. If you have zero patience for pre-war Polish cinema, you might find it a bit of a slog. But if you appreciate a good rebellion, give it a shot.

The whole thing is about that 1905 revolution in Poland. The teachers are these stuffy, terrifying bureaucrats who represent the Russian occupation. It is funny how quickly you start rooting for the kids, even when they make really bad decisions.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Mlody las (1934) through its definitive frames.

There is this one scene where the students are just whispering in the hallway, and the tension is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. The camera just sits there. It does not try to be fancy. It just watches them panic.

The performances feel a bit theatrical, which is expected for the era. Sometimes it feels like they are projecting to the back of a theater rather than a lens. It is not a bad thing, just a different vibe. It reminded me a little bit of the earnest tone in The Salvation Hunters, where the stakes feel personal even if the delivery is a bit stiff.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Mlody las (1934) through its definitive frames.

Oddly specific observations

• The uniforms look incredibly uncomfortable.
• There is a teacher who keeps adjusting his glasses for no reason, and it becomes the only thing I watch in his scenes.
• Some of the extras in the background look like they are trying to hide from the camera.
• The lighting in the classroom is surprisingly moody for what I assume was a fairly standard set.

The film is not perfect. It stumbles in the middle when it tries to explain too much politics. I found myself wishing it would just go back to the kids plotting their next move. The rebellion stuff works best when it is quiet.

It is definitely not as polished as something like The Cisco Kid, but that is fine. It has a soul. You can feel the directors really cared about the history behind the script. Sometimes that is better than a slick, multi-million dollar production that feels like it was put through a focus group.

I left the movie thinking about how much high schoolers haven't changed. They still want to rebel, they still have that chip on their shoulder, and they still think they are the first people to ever figure out the system is broken. Young blood, right?

If you can look past the age of the film, there is a lot of heart here. Just do not expect a happy-go-lucky adventure. This is a bit of a heavy watch. 🕯️