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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
You should probably only watch Old Song if you have a high tolerance for movies that sound like they were recorded inside a running dishwasher.
It is a movie for people who love the history of the screen more than the actual plot.
If you need things to blow up or characters to talk like real people, you will absolutely hate this.
I watched this on a grainy copy where the subtitles occasionally just gave up, and honestly, it didn't really matter.
The story is one of those 'wrong side of the tracks' romances that feels older than the dirt it was filmed on.
Lil Dagover is the main draw here, and she spends a lot of time looking tragically beautiful while standing near windows.
She has this way of holding her head that makes you think she’s carries the weight of the whole world in her hair.
There is a scene early on where she's just sitting there, and the lighting hits her eyes in a way that feels accidental but perfect.
Then there is Paul Hörbiger.
He’s got that jolly-but-sad energy that I always associate with these old Central European films.
He shows up and you just know he’s going to be the one who understands everything but can’t fix anything.
The movie is called Old Song, and yes, people do sing.
The audio quality is so scratchy that the songs sound like they are being transmitted from another planet.
It’s kind of charming if you’re in the right mood, but it can be a bit much if you have a headache.
I found myself staring at the background actors a lot.
In one scene at a party, there is a man in the back who is eating a piece of cake with so much intensity it’s distracting.
He’s really going for it while the main characters are having a Very Important Conversation.
The pacing is… well, it’s not fast.
It feels like a movie that wants to be a silent film but was forced to use microphones at the last minute.
Characters stand very still when they talk, probably because they were afraid of moving away from the hidden mics.
It reminds me a bit of the awkward transition you see in The Madcap Musician where the tech is clearly fighting the actors.
There’s a bit with a letter that takes about three minutes too long.
We see the letter, then we see her face, then we see the letter again, then we see her crying.
We get it. The letter is bad news.
But the movie wants to make sure you really feel the paper of that letter.
I think Felix Bressart is in this for about five seconds, and he’s the best part of his five seconds.
He has a face that just looks like a confused bird.
The whole thing feels very theatrical, like they just moved a stage play into a garden and hoped for the best.
It’s not as visually wild as something like Arsenal, which is fine, but it lacks that punch.
It’s more of a gentle sigh of a movie.
One thing I noticed was the hats.
Everyone wears these incredibly complicated hats that look like they might tip over at any second.
I spent at least ten minutes wondering how Maria Forescu kept hers balanced during her lines.
The movie doesn't really 'end' so much as it just stops when everyone is sufficiently sad.
It’s a very specific kind of 1930s ending where you aren't sure if you should feel relieved or depressed.
Is it a masterpiece? No, definitely not.
But it has this weird, ghostly atmosphere that stays with you after you turn it off.
It’s like looking at a photo of your great-grandparents and wondering what they were actually thinking about.
They probably weren't thinking about the plot of a melodrama, but they looked good in the sepia tones anyway.
If you’re digging through old archives, it’s a decent enough stop.
Just don't expect it to change your life or anything.
It’s just an old song, played on a slightly broken piano. 🎹
IMDb —
1924
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