Night Life of Europe: A bit of a dusty postcard

Is it worth your time?

If you are a fan of old-school travel docs or just want to see what nightlife looked like before everything felt curated for Instagram, you might dig this. If you need a plot, run away. Fast.

Night Life of Europe is basically a black-and-white fever dream of jazz bands and stiff choreography. It moves fast, jumping from London to Copenhagen like someone is frantically flipping through a travel brochure. It reminded me a bit of the frantic pacing in The House on 56th Street, though with way less drama and way more people in tuxedos.

Oddly specific observations:

• The transition between London and Berlin is jarring. It feels like the editors just gave up on a theme halfway through.
• The Can-Can dancers in Paris look like they are having the time of their lives, while the band behind them looks like they are being held at gunpoint.
• The San Remo segment goes on for about 10 minutes too long. My eyes kind of glazed over somewhere around the third accordion solo.

It is not trying to be a deep dive. It is just showing you things. Sometimes it works! There is this one shot in a Copenhagen club where the lighting is so weird it makes the whole room look like a miniature set. It feels unintentional, but it is the best part of the whole film.

Honestly, it makes me think of some of those fluffier shorts like Fur, Fur Away. They have that same weird energy where they assume the audience is desperate for exotic locations. Maybe they were? I don't know.

It is not a masterpiece. It is just a window into a Europe that does not really exist anymore. You will probably forget the name of the movie by tomorrow. But for 45 minutes? It is a weird, pleasant little trip. Just don't expect it to change your life. 💃🥂