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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Alright, so, "Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days" isn't for everyone. If you're looking for fast edits or some deep, twisty plot, you'll probably just get annoyed. But if you've got a soft spot for film history, especially German cinema from way back when, this one's a quaint little find.
It’s a bit of a time capsule, really. Watching it feels like you've just opened a dusty old photo album, full of people you don't know but who are still somehow *vibrantly* there.
The film just oozes early 20th-century German university life. The costumes are a whole thing – those student caps and uniforms, the way everyone dresses so formally even when they're supposed to be having a good time. It’s a stark contrast to how students carry themselves today. 🧐
There's this one shot of the campus grounds, just sprawling. You can almost smell the old stone buildings, feel the quiet hush of academia, even through a screen decades removed. It's kinda peaceful, really.
The performances, oh man. They’re theatrical, in a way we just don't see anymore. Every gesture is a little bigger, every emotion spelled out. Betty Astor, she has this way of looking at the camera sometimes, like she knows we're watching, which is kinda neat.
And then there's Alfred Beierle, playing Professor Wiegand. He’s got this blustery, kindly old professor thing down pat. His exasperated sighs? *Chef's kiss* for the era.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around the usual student stuff: friendships, a bit of rivalry, and a whole lot of young love. It's not complicated. Which, honestly, is a relief sometimes, right?
There's a scene with a duel, played for laughs mostly, and it feels so *specific* to that particular time and place. The seriousness with which they approach it, even as it's clearly meant to be a bit silly, is telling.
Werner Fuetterer, he plays the dashing student, naturally. He’s got that classic matinee idol look from that period. You know the one: sharp jawline, earnest eyes.
One little thing, there's a moment where a character tries to sneak out of a lecture, and the way the professor just knows without even looking, it's a small beat, but it lands. It’s a simple gag, but it works.
The pacing, it's... deliberate. Not slow, exactly, but definitely not rushed. Scenes often linger just a moment longer than you expect. It gives you time to really soak in the details of the set, the expressions on the actors' faces. Or, to check your phone. No judgment. 🤷♀️
The way they handle romantic misunderstandings feels so innocent, almost naive by today's standards. A lost letter, a misheard conversation – the stakes feel low, but the characters treat them like world-ending catastrophes. It’s charming, if a bit much.
It's not a film that's trying to make a grand statement. It’s just trying to capture a sliver of life, of youth, from a very particular moment in history. And in that, it mostly succeeds.
You can see glimpses of film language still forming. Some of the cuts feel a bit abrupt, and the camera movements are often quite static. It reminds you how far cinema has come, technique-wise.
There’s a little party scene, and the dancing is just… *so* proper. It’s less a wild bash and more a very polite gathering. Even when they're supposed to be letting loose, there's a certain formality that's hard to shake.
So, should you watch Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days? If you're into the history of film, or just curious about what student life looked like in Germany almost a century ago, then yes, absolutely. It's a curiosity more than a masterpiece, but a lovely one.
For everyone else? Maybe put on something a little more... modern. Unless you're in the mood for a quiet, gentle stroll through cinematic history. It’s got a certain sweetness to it, a forgotten melody. 🎶
IMDb —
1918
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