Polish Jew Review: Harry Baur is Sweating Bullets

You should probably watch this if you like old French movies where people slowly lose their minds. It’s great for fans of Harry Baur’s incredibly expressive, heavy face. If you hate movies that feel like filmed stage plays or stories where the guilt is laid on with a shovel, you’ll probably find this one a bit much.

I watched this on a rainy Tuesday and it fit the mood perfectly. It’s not exactly a fun time, but it’s got a vibe that sticks to you like cold mud.

The whole thing starts with a murder. Mathias, the big shot in town, kills a Polish merchant because he needs the money. It’s quick and kinda brutal for 1937. The snow in these scenes looks like soap flakes or maybe shredded paper. It doesn't look real, but the way Mathias looks into the camera makes it feel cold anyway.

Then we jump forward fifteen years. Mathias is the Burgomaster now. Everyone loves him. He’s got a daughter who is very sweet and a bit boring. He thinks he got away with it. Narrator voice: He did not get away with it.

The sound of the sleigh bells starts small. It’s just a little tinkling in the background of his head. But then it gets louder and more persistent. It’s honestly a bit annoying to listen to as a viewer, but I guess that’s the point. You want to reach into the screen and tell him to take an aspirin.

Harry Baur is just... massive in this. Not just physically, but his acting is so heavy. He sweats through his shirts. He looks like he’s constantly about to faint. His eyes do a lot of heavy lifting while the rest of the cast just sort of hangs around him.

There is this one scene at a banquet where they start talking about the old murder. The camera stays on Baur’s face for what feels like an eternity. You can see the exact moment his heart starts racing. It’s way more effective than any of the special effects they try later.

The Weird Love Story

To make things extra awkward, the son of the guy Mathias killed shows up in town. And of course, he falls in love with Mathias's daughter. It’s such a movie trope. It feels a little forced, like the writers realized they needed a B-plot to fill the time.

Geo Laby plays the son, and he’s fine. He has a very nice hat. But honestly, I didn't care much about whether they got married or not. I just wanted to see Baur freak out some more. The romance feels like it belongs in a different movie, maybe something like Rose-Marie, but without the singing.

The pacing is a bit clunky. It feels like the movie stops dead every time the daughter is on screen. Then it picks up again when Mathias hears those bells. It’s a very uneven experience. Some scenes go on for way too long, like the village dances. We get it, they are happy villagers. Let's get back to the guilt and the haunting.

It’s funny how different this is from something like The Gold Rush. In that movie, the snow and the struggle are part of the joke. Here, the snow is like a tombstone. There’s no humor here, just a guy who is really, really stressed out.

"The bells are in my head, not in the street!"

I might have made that quote up, but that’s basically the whole second half of the film. It gets very surreal toward the end. There’s a dream sequence that looks very low-budget but works because it's so creepy. It feels like something out of La perle with its odd, disjointed imagery.

Random bits I noticed:

• The way Mathias touches the gold coins is genuinely unsettling. He loves that money too much.
• There’s a dog in one scene that looks very confused by the actors' shouting. 🐕
• The lighting in the final trial scene is actually pretty cool, very moody.
• Why does everyone in this village drink so much wine? It seems like a lot.

The movie is based on a play called "The Bells," and you can really tell. Most of it happens in just a few rooms. It gives it a claustrophobic feeling that actually helps the story. You feel trapped in the room with Mathias and his ringing ears.

It’s not a perfect movie. The supporting cast is mostly forgettable. The music is a bit melodramatic. But Baur’s performance is a powerhouse. He carries the whole thing on his big, slumped shoulders. If you can handle the 1930s theatrical style, it’s worth a look just for him.

I left the movie feeling a bit tired. Not because it was boring, but because Baur’s anxiety is contagious. I think I heard a bicycle bell on the way home and jumped a little. That’s probably a good sign for a horror-drama, right?

It’s a strange little relic. Not as polished as some other French films from the era, but it has a raw, sweaty energy that I liked. It doesn't try to be pretty. It just tries to be loud and guilty. 🔔