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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Navy Blues remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, you're thinking about Navy Blues, from way back in 1929? 🚢 If you're someone who loves digging into early talkies, seeing how movies first grappled with sound, or just enjoys a really simple, earnest romance from a bygone era, then yeah, give it a whirl. But if you need fast pacing, snappy dialogue, or anything resembling modern subtlety, you're probably gonna be bored stiff. It’s for the curious, not for the casual Netflix scroller.
The story itself is pretty straightforward: sailor on leave meets pretty girl, they fall in love fast. Her parents, they really don't cotton to him, so she ups and leaves home, figuring marriage is the next logical step. Classic stuff.
William Haines plays the sailor, and he's got this magnetic energy. A real grin-and-a-wink kind of guy. You can totally see why Anita Page's character, the blonde, would fall for him. Their chemistry, it’s not subtle, but it works for the era.
Page herself, she does a lot with her eyes. Sometimes the lines feel a little stiff, a bit too formal for people just talking. But then she’ll give this look, and you just get all the emotion right there. That’s probably the strongest bit.
The sound here, oh boy. Sometimes it feels like they just stuck a microphone in the middle of the room and hoped for the best. 🔊 You can hear every little rustle, every squeak, sometimes clearer than the dialogue itself. It’s a trip.
One scene, where Haines is trying to talk to her disapproving dad, just goes on for ages. The dad just stares at him. You can practically hear the judgmental thoughts swirling around, even without any dialogue. It's almost funny how long it lasts.
Her parents, bless 'em, are exactly what you'd expect. The dad grumbles, the mom wrings her hands. The entire argument felt like it could have been trimmed down quite a bit, but hey, it's 1929.
That whole 'she leaves home expecting marriage' bit? That's where the film really digs in. You feel her hope, a little naive maybe, but utterly sincere. The movie doesn't rush that particular emotional journey, which is actually kind of nice.
There’s this weird moment early on with some extras in the background during a street scene. They’re just... milling about, very obviously looking at the camera. It kinda pulls you out for a second. Like, did they not have continuity supervisors back then? 😂
The pacing, it's a real throwback. Some scenes just sit there. Not in a profound way, just like nobody called 'cut' yet. It’s part of the charm, I guess, or maybe just how things were done.
Ultimately, Navy Blues is a curious watch. It’s certainly not for everyone. But if you want a peek at what movies were doing just as sound arrived, and you don't mind a slower pace, there's a certain earnestness to it that's quite endearing. It's a reminder of how simple these stories could be, and still work, if you had the right faces.
IMDb 6.8
1924
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