Moralnosc pani Dulskiej: A 1930s movie about the worst mom ever

Is it worth your time?

If you like watching people be extremely fake to their neighbors, yes. You should watch this.

But if you can't stand old movies where the sound pops and hisses like a frying pan, maybe skip it. It is definitely for people who like stage plays and actors who use their whole bodies to sigh.

I sat down with this one on a Tuesday night. I didn't expect to get so annoyed at a fictional lady from nearly a hundred years ago.

Mrs. Dulska is the kind of person who cleans her sidewalk but hides dirt under the rug. Helena Sokolowska plays her with this pinched face that never seems to relax.

The whole plot is basically about her son, Zbyszko, getting the maid pregnant. Instead of being a good person, Dulska just tries to pay everyone off to keep the neighbors from talking.

It is called "morality," but nobody in this house actually has any. Except maybe the maid, Hanka, who just looks tired the whole time.

The son is a real piece of work. He acts like he is a rebel, but as soon as he realizes he might lose his comfortable bed, he folds like a cheap chair.

There is this one scene where he is laying on the sofa, smoking, and he just looks so bored with his own life. It felt very modern, actually.

Like those kids today who post about how much they hate everything while living in their parents basement. Some things never change, I guess.

The movie feels a bit like The Wildcat in its energy sometimes, but way more grounded in a stuffy apartment. You can almost smell the dust on the heavy curtains.

I noticed that the camera lingers on the daughter, Mela, for a long time. She is the only one who seems to realize her family is rotten.

Her face in the background of the dinner scenes is heartbreaking. She is watching her mother lie and you can see her losing her innocence in real time.

The sound is... well, it is a 1930 movie. Sometimes the voices get all muddy and you have to lean in to hear what they are even saying.

There is a lot of shouting. Polish drama from this era really loved a good shouting match.

I liked the way the house is filmed. It feels small and claustrophobic, which makes sense because Dulska is suffocating everyone in it.

The maid, Hanka, has these eyes that just look hollow. When she is standing in the kitchen, she looks like she is part of the furniture.

It reminded me of The Egg in how it deals with these weird social hierarchies. Everyone is just trying to climb over someone else.

One thing that bugged me was the music. It kicks in at weird times and is way too loud compared to the talking.

I had to keep turning my volume up and down. My cat was not happy about the sudden violin screeches.

The ending isn't some big happy explosion. It just kind of settles into this sad reality where the status quo wins.

Dulska wins because she is the loudest and has the most money. It’s frustrating to watch, but it feels honest.

The costumes are actually pretty great. Dulska wears these hats that look like architectural accidents.

You can tell they spent most of the budget on the living room set. The rest of the locations look a bit thin, but that’s fine since most of the drama happens over tea anyway.

If you have ever had a boss or a relative who cares more about "appearances" than people's feelings, this movie will hit home. It’s a bit cruel but very sharp.

I’m glad I watched it, even if it made me want to yell at the screen a few times. It is a solid piece of history that still feels like it’s talking about people we know today.

Just don't expect a fast-paced thriller. This is a slow burn about mean people in nice clothes.