Pan Twardowski (1936) Review: Giant Roosters and 1930s Polish Magic

Is Pan Twardowski worth your time today? Yes, but only if you have a soft spot for dusty, weird black-and-white fantasy films from Europe. If you need clean CGI or fast pacing, you will probably hate this and turn it off after five minutes. 😴

Its a Polish movie from 1936 about a guy who sells his soul to the devil. He does it to get a girl who is totally in love with someone else, which is always a classic bad decision.

The Devil is the Best Part

Kazimierz Junosza-Stepowski plays Satan and he is absolutely loving it. He has these wild eyebrows and walks around like he owns the place, which I guess he kind of does. 😈

There is this one scene where he pops out of a fireplace. The smoke effect is so bad it looks like someone just blew cigarette smoke directly into the camera lens. 🚬

Our main hero Twardowski is okay, but he is mostly just a sad nobleman with a massive mustache. Seriously, that mustache is the real star of the first half hour.

Low Budget Magic Tricks

Once Twardowski gets his magic powers, the movie gets a lot more fun. He rides a giant rooster at one point, and it looks exactly as ridiculous as you are imagining. 🐓

The special effects have this handmade charm. It reminds me a bit of the dreamy vibes in Beauty and the Beast, but way more clunky and cheap.

Some of the spooky scenes have this odd, creepy atmosphere that reminded me of The Pursuit of the Phantom. But then a guy in a bad devil suit ruins the mood by jumping around like a weirdo.

I noticed one of the extras in the tavern scene just staring straight into the camera. He looks so confused, like he wandered onto the wrong movie set and didn't know how to leave.

That Ending Though

The devil finally catches him because of a silly technicality in the contract. They meet in a tavern called "Rome" because Twardowski promised he would only give up his soul if he ever visited the actual city of Rome.

The final shot on the moon is surprisingly sad. He is just sitting there in the dark, looking down at Earth with nobody to talk to.

Its not a masterpiece, but it has so much heart. If you want something weird for a rainy Sunday, give it a go.