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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have an hour to kill and you want to feel like you've traveled back to a very dusty, very loud version of 1928 Italy, this is worth a look.
It is definitely for people who like history or just want to see how movies used to look before everything became so clean and digital.
If you need explosions or fast talking, you are going to hate this. It’s a silent film about music, which is already a weird thing to wrap your head around.
The movie is called Napoli sirena della canzone and it stars Eduardo Notari.
He has this very specific look, like he’s always about to tell a secret or steal your bread.
He was the son of the director, Elvira Notari, and you can tell she knew exactly how to light his face.
Most of the time he’s just walking around or looking intense, but it works.
The whole thing is basically a sceneggiata.
In Naples, that meant a play based on a popular song.
So, back in the day, there would be a live singer in the theater while the movie played.
Watching it now without the live singer feels a bit like watching someone talk on the phone while you’re on mute.
You see Salvatore Papaccio—this legendary singer—opening his mouth wide and pouring his soul out.
But there is no sound.
It’s strangely beautiful in a way that’s hard to explain to people who only watch modern stuff.
There is a scene where they are in a small room and the shadows are just huge.
It’s not like the polished lighting in The King of Kings.
This feels grittier. Realer.
I noticed a guy in the background of one street scene who just looks confused by the camera.
He’s wearing this flat cap and just staring.
I love those little moments where the real world leaks into the movie.
It’s mostly about the feeling of the city and the songs.
If you’ve seen Night Life, you know how movies can just be about an atmosphere.
This one is about the atmosphere of a place that doesn't really exist anymore.
The streets look so narrow.
The laundry is hanging everywhere, like white flags.
There’s a lot of hand gesturing.
I mean, it’s Naples, so if they weren’t moving their hands, I’d be worried.
Giovanni Mongelluzzo shows up too, and he has this very solid presence.
He doesn't have to do much to make you believe he's lived a rough life.
Sometimes the editing is a bit jumpy.
One second they are in a café, the next they are by the water.
It’s not as smooth as Speed King.
But the lack of polish is what makes it feel like a real artifact.
I kept thinking about how these people are all gone now, but their faces are still there, flickering.
There’s a part where Eduardo Notari looks directly into the lens.
It lasts about three seconds too long.
It’s uncomfortable but you can't look away.
The film is much slower than something like Thunderclap.
You have to let yourself sink into it.
If you try to rush it, you’ll just get annoyed.
It’s like drinking a very thick espresso.
I liked the scenes by the harbor the best.
The way the light hits the waves in old black and white film is just different.
It looks like silver.
There is a lot of melodrama here.
People clutching their chests. People looking at the sky in despair.
It’s much more emotional than High Stakes.
Actually, it’s probably more emotional than most movies made today.
They didn't have dialogue, so they had to use their whole bodies to say "I'm sad."
Sometimes it looks a bit silly, like they're overdoing it.
But then you see a close-up of a mother crying and you stop laughing.
The movie doesn't really have a big climax.
It just kind of... ends.
Like a song finishing and everyone just goes home.
It reminded me a bit of Home in how it focuses on the domestic stuff.
But with more salt air and mandolins.
If you're looking for a masterpiece, maybe skip it.
If you're looking for a vibe, this is the one.
I’m still thinking about that one street dog that ran across the frame in the middle of a serious scene.
He didn't know he was in a movie.
He was just a dog in 1928.
I think that’s why I like these old films.
They capture things they weren't even trying to capture.
It’s messy and it’s beautiful. 🎬
IMDb 5.4
1932
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