Parce que je t'aime: A dusty French silent film that's actually pretty sweet

Is it worth your time?

If you're the type of person who likes sitting in a quiet room with a cup of tea while watching grainy footage from 1928, then yes. This is definitely for the silent film nerds who don't mind a bit of melodrama.

If you need things to blow up or people to talk every five seconds, you are going to absolutely hate this. It moves at the speed of a snail on a Sunday afternoon. 🐌

I found a copy of this and the first thing I noticed was just how much Madeleine Saint-Gal carries the whole thing on her shoulders. Her face does this twitchy thing when she’s sad that feels more real than most CGI today.

The story is basically about her being caught in a tough spot with her family. It's one of those "because I love you" situations where everyone makes terrible decisions for the sake of affection.

There is a scene in a parlor where the lighting is just... weird. It’s like they had one lamp and everyone had to crowd around it to be seen. 💡

It reminded me a bit of the vibe in Vendémiaire, but way less intense and more focused on the pouting.

Nicolas Rimsky shows up and he has these incredibly expressive eyes. Sometimes he stares at the camera for so long I started to feel like I owed him money.

The intertitles—those little text cards—are actually quite poetic in this one. They don't just say what's happening; they try to be all deep and French about it.

I did notice a weird smudge on the lens during one of the garden scenes. It stayed there for like three minutes and I kept trying to wipe my own screen. 🤦‍♂️

The pacing is all over the place. One minute they are staring at a flower for an eternity, and the next, five years have passed in a single frame.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Parce que je t'aime (1929) through its definitive frames.

It lacks the punch of something like Flaming Youth, which feels much more "modern" for its time. This feels older, like a faded photograph you found in your grandma's basement.

There is this one guy, François Viguier, who plays a character that seems to be perpetually angry at his own hat. He keeps adjusting it and looking annoyed. It’s a small thing, but I couldn't stop watching him do it.

The romance is... fine. It’s very 1920s, which means a lot of hand-holding and staring intensely into the distance while leaning against a tree.

I think the movie gets better once you stop trying to follow the logic and just look at the costumes. The dresses are stunning, even in black and white.

Compared to something like The Right to Lie, this feels a bit more honest about its emotions. It doesn't try to be a clever thriller; it’s just a sad girl in a big house.

The ending felt a bit rushed, like the film crew ran out of money or the sun was going down and they had to go home. It just sort of... stops.

Still, there's a charm to it. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a nice way to spend an hour if you want to feel sophisticated without actually doing any work.

Wait, did I mention the dog? There’s a dog in one scene that looks completely confused by the actors. 🐶

I’d say give it a watch if you’ve already seen the big hits and want something a bit more obscure. It’s better than Flashing Spurs, that's for sure, mostly because it doesn't try to be a cowboy movie in France.

Just don't expect it to change your life. It’s just a nice, slightly blurry memory of a movie.