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7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. My Old Dutch remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you are in the mood for a good cry and don’t mind a lot of thick London accents, this is definitely worth your time today. It’s for people who like those big, sweeping family stories—sort of like Morning Becomes Electric but with way more flat caps and beer. If you hate sentimentality, you will probably want to throw your remote at the screen.
I wasn't expecting much from a movie made in 1934, but this one really got to me. It’s not trying to be fancy or artistic.
The movie follows Joe and Lil over about forty years. Betty Balfour plays Lil, and she has this energy that just lights up every scene she’s in, even when things get really grim.
It starts out all fun and games in the 1890s with everyone dancing and singing. The pub scenes are so loud and chaotic, it feels like the actors are actually having a real party in the background.
Then the war hits, and the movie gets heavy fast. There is this one shot of the telegram arriving that just hangs there for a second too long, and you know exactly what’s coming.
I noticed that the kids in this movie are played by actors who don't really look like their parents, which is a bit distracting if you think about it too much. The baby at the start literally looks like a bundle of old rags someone is carrying around. 👶
Gordon Harker is in this, too. He has a face that looks like a crumpled brown paper bag, and he’s hilarious without even trying.
The way he wears his hat tilted to the side makes him look like he’s perpetually about to fall over. I loved every second he was on screen.
Sometimes the movie jumps ahead in time so fast you get a bit dizzy. One minute they are young and dancing, and the next, everyone has gray hair and they are worrying about the rent.
It reminds me a bit of the pacing in The Song of Songs, where life just sort of happens to the characters while they aren't looking.
The final act takes place in a workhouse, which is just about the saddest place you could imagine. The movie really leans into the heartbreak here.
I think the director wanted to make sure everyone in the theater was sobbing by the time the credits rolled. It’s a bit manipulative, honestly.
But the chemistry between Joe and Lil is so real that you forgive the movie for being so dramatic. You can tell they actually like each other.
It’s a lot more grounded than something like Ladies of the Jury which feels much more like a stage play. This feels like a real neighborhood.
The sound quality is a bit fuzzy in the outdoor scenes. I had to lean in a few times to catch what they were saying.
There is this one moment where a character drops a plate and the sound of it breaking is about ten times louder than the dialogue. It made me jump. 🍽️
Overall, I’d say watch it if you want to feel something. It’s a messy, loud, honest little film that doesn't care about being perfect.
It’s just about two people trying to stay together while the world falls apart around them. And really, isn't that what most of us are doing?
Maybe bring a tissue or two. Or a whole box. 🤧
IMDb 1.5
1927
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