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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Power remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a couple of hours and want to see someone act their heart out in a wig that looks way too heavy, you should probably watch Power.
It is perfect for anyone who likes stories about people trying to climb the social ladder only to find out the ladder is broken. If you hate slow-moving dramas with a lot of talking in candlelit rooms, you might find this one a bit of a slog.
I watched this one on a rainy Tuesday and honestly, I was not expecting to get so sucked into the politics of 18th-century Wurtemburg. Conrad Veidt plays Suess, and the guy just has these eyes that seem to vibrate with intensity every time he is on screen.
Suess is a Jewish man who is tired of being stuck in the ghetto. He meets this Duke who is basically a walking pile of bad decisions and greed.
Frank Vosper plays the Duke and he is just... gross. He spends most of his time being loud and wanting things he can't afford, which is where Suess comes in to fix the books.
There is this one scene where the Duke is eating and talking, and you can just tell he has no respect for anyone. It made my skin crawl a little bit.
The movie does this great job of showing how shiny and bright the palace is compared to the dark, cramped streets where Suess grew up. It is not subtle, but it works.
I noticed the costumes are incredibly detailed, though some of the hats look like they would cause serious neck pain after twenty minutes. The jewelry too.
There is a part where Suess realizes that no matter how much power he gets, the people in charge still see him as an outsider. It is a really quiet moment, but you can see his face just sort of drop for a second before he puts his mask back on.
The pacing gets a little weird in the middle. It feels like they skipped a few months of story just to get to the next big argument in the court.
It reminded me a bit of the tension in The Beast of the City, even though that is a totally different kind of movie. Both have that feeling of a man trapped by the choices he made to get ahead.
One of the extras in the background of a party scene looks like he is actually falling asleep. I don't blame him, those 1700s parties looked long 🥱.
The lighting is actually really impressive for 1934. They use shadows to make Suess look like a villain one minute and a victim the next.
It is definitely more serious than something like The Little Pirate, so don't go in expecting a fun adventure. This is a tragedy, through and through.
The ending is... wow. It is very heavy.
I won't spoil it, but it makes the whole movie feel much more important than just a history lesson. It feels like a warning.
Sometimes the dialogue is a bit stiff, like they are reading from a very old book. But then Veidt will do something small with his hands or his face and it feels real again.
If you enjoyed the drama in Law of the Land, you will probably appreciate how this handles the legal and social traps the characters fall into.
It is a movie that makes you think about what you would give up to be safe. Or to be rich. Or to just be seen.
Anyway, it's worth the watch just to see a masterclass in acting from the lead. Even if the wigs are a bit much.
IMDb —
1924
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