Reviewing Ponyataya oshibka (1927): A dusty but human silent film

If you have a rainy afternoon and a weird obsession with silent cinema, Ponyataya oshibka is actually worth your time. Most people will probably find it way too slow and maybe even a bit boring, though. 😴

It’s one of those movies where you can tell everyone was just figuring it out as they went along. The title basically means "A Clear Mistake," and honestly, the movie leans into that vibe pretty hard.

Tatyana Barysheva plays her part with this constant look of "is this really happening?" I loved the way she uses her hands to show she's annoyed without saying a single word.

There is this one guy, Aleksandr Gromov, who has a very intense stare that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. He looks like he’s trying to see right through the camera lens and into your living room.

The movie feels a bit like the vibe in The Girl from the Marsh Croft because it focuses on small, local drama. But it is definitely not as polished or fancy as something like West of Broadway.

The rooms they film in look super cramped and dark. You can almost smell the dust on the heavy curtains they use for the backdrops in the indoor scenes.

At one point, there is a shot of a table with some bread and a bottle on it that lasts way too long. I found myself wondering if the bread was real or just a prop made of wood. 🥖

The writing by Pavel Ilyin isn't exactly high art, but it feels honest in a way modern movies usually don't. It doesn’t try to be a big political statement, even though it’s from that specific Soviet era.

It’s just people being messy and making mistakes, which I guess is the point. Some of the edits are a bit jumpy, like they accidentally lost a few feet of film and just hoped nobody would notice.

It gives the whole thing a very "found footage" feel before that was even a thing people did on purpose. If you liked the very slow and steady pace of The Potterymaker, you’ll probably be fine with this one.

Just don't expect a lot of action or big plot twists. It is mostly just a slice of life from a world that doesn't exist anymore.

I think the ending was supposed to be funny, but I mostly just felt kind of bad for the main guy. Still, I’m glad I watched it just to see the outfits and the weirdly expressive acting. 🎥

One reaction shot of Sofya Levitina lingers so long it actually becomes funny. You keep waiting for the cut, but it just stays on her face while she looks slightly confused.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a neat little time capsule. Just make sure you have some coffee ready because it *does* drag in the middle quite a bit.