The Paris Shoemaker (1928) review - A silent film about a real jerk

If you have about an hour and a half and want to see how people were making mistakes back in 1928, you should give Parizhskiy sapozhnik a shot. It is worth watching if you like dramas that feel a bit grubby and real. People who want a happy, shiny ending will probably hate this one though.

It is not your typical boring history lesson. The movie feels like it was filmed by someone who was actually eavesdropping on a small town’s worst gossip.

The main guy, Kirill, is what people today would call a complete loser. He’s the "Parisian Shoemaker" because he makes these stylish shoes and thinks he’s better than everyone in his tiny Soviet village.

He spends a lot of time looking at himself. You can see him fixing his hair or checking his clothes while Katya, the girl he’s been seeing, is trying to tell him something actually important.

Katya tells him she is pregnant. The look on his face is not one of worry for her, but more like he just stepped in something gross.

The movie gets really good when it shows how the town reacts. It’s not just about the couple, it's about all the young people in their "Komsomol" group trying to figure out what to do with them.

There is this one scene where they are all sitting in a circle. It feels like it lasts five minutes too long, but in a way that makes you feel the uncomfortable heat in the room.

You can tell the director, Ermler, really liked shadows. A lot of the faces are half-dark, which makes everyone look like they are hiding a secret.

Kirill’s solution to the pregnancy is... well, it’s dark. He basically tries to get his friends to help him get rid of the problem in a way that made me want to yell at the screen.

It’s weird how much this reminded me of Why I Would Not Marry, even though that’s a totally different kind of flick. Both have that vibe of "man, relationships are a mess."

The acting isn't that over-the-top stuff you usually see in silents. Veronika Buzhinskaya, who plays Katya, does a lot with just her eyes. She looks tired. Not movie-tired, but actually exhausted.

There’s a small detail I noticed—a scene with a record player. The way the needle hits the disc is shot so close up. It has nothing to do with the plot, really, but it stuck with me.

I found myself wondering if the shoemaker's shoes were actually even that good. They look a bit clunky for something called "Parisian."

Sometimes the movie cuts away too fast. You’re in the middle of a tense moment and then—bam—you’re looking at a field or a signpost. It’s a bit jarring.

It reminds me a bit of the pacing in The Strong Man, where things just sort of happen and you have to keep up. But this is way less funny.

The ending feels a bit rushed, like they ran out of film or the sun was going down. It doesn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow, which I actually liked.

If you’ve seen It's the Old Army Game, you know how some silents can feel like they’re just wandering around. This one has a much sharper point to it.

Kirill is a villain you can actually recognize in real life. He’s not a monster with a cape, he’s just a selfish kid with a nice pair of boots.

I liked the scenes in the workshop. The smell of leather and glue almost comes through the screen. It’s very grounded.

One part that was weird was the lighting in the underground cave scene. It was so dark I couldn't tell who was hitting who for a second. It felt messy, but maybe that was the point? 🤷‍♂️

Don't expect a lot of titles to explain what's happening. You have to actually watch the faces. If you’re on your phone, you’ll miss the whole movie.

Overall, it’s a solid watch. It’s got that raw, early-cinema energy that you don't get anymore. Just be prepared to hate the shoemaker by the time the credits roll.