Prince or Clown (1928) - A silent drama that's actually pretty okay

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, only if you're already into silent films or you're doing a deep dive into 1920s German cinema. If you need fast pacing or explosions, you are going to hate every single second of this.

But for the rest of us, it’s a nice little time capsule. It has that specific 1928 energy where everything is a bit too theatrical but also weirdly charming.

The story is pretty simple. You’ve got a prince who is clearly tired of being a prince.

He meets a girl who isn't a royal, and suddenly everything is a mess. It’s the kind of plot you see in stuff like Limousine Life, where the social ladder feels more like a cage.

Iván Petrovich plays the prince and he has this very specific way of standing. He looks like he’s perpetually waiting for someone to bring him a drink or tell him he’s allowed to sit down.

His face doesn't move much, which I guess is what being a prince is all about. Stoicism or whatever.

Then there is Marcella Albani. She is the real reason to watch this if I'm being honest.

She has these eyes that seem to take up half the screen. Every time she’s on, the movie feels about ten times more alive.

There is this one scene in a dressing room where she’s just looking in a mirror. It goes on for a long time, maybe too long, but you can see her whole mood shift just by how she holds her chin.

It reminds me of the pacing in The Stronger Vow, where the camera just sits there and waits for the actor to do something interesting. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

The sets are surprisingly big for what feels like a smaller production. Some of the palace hallways look like they go on for miles.

But then you see a door handle that looks like it's made of spray-painted cardboard. I love those little imperfections in old movies.

The title "Prince or Clown" refers to this idea of masks. Everyone is playing a part they don't really want to play.

The prince is a "clown" because his life is a joke, and the performers are more "royal" in their hearts. It's not exactly deep, but it works for the vibes they are going for.

I found myself thinking about Ladies' Pets while watching the circus-adjacent scenes. There’s a similar fascination with the spectacle of the stage versus the reality of the people behind the curtain.

One guy, Michael Mar, has a scene where he’s just eating and looking suspicious. I couldn't tell you why he was suspicious, he just had that face.

The subtitles (intertitles, I guess) are a bit dry. They explain things that the actors are already doing with their hands.

Like, we see a man crying and then a black screen pops up and says "He was very sad." Thanks, movie. We got it.

The ending feels a bit rushed, like they realized they were running out of film. It just sort of... stops.

It’s not as energetic as The Suburban or even Speedville. It’s much more of a slow burn that doesn't always have enough fuel to keep the fire going.

I did notice the lighting in the ballroom scene was actually quite good. They used shadows to make the prince look even more isolated while everyone else was dancing.

Sig Arno shows up and brings some much-needed lightness. He has a funny walk that made me realize how stiff everyone else was being.

If you've seen The Arab, you know how these silent dramas can get really heavy-handed with the romance. This one isn't as bad, but it still has a lot of hand-holding and staring into the distance.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it better than sitting in silence for 90 minutes? Definitely.

It's a bit like finding an old postcard in a thrift store. You don't know the people, and the message is a bit vague, but you’re glad you looked at it anyway. 🤡

I’d say it’s a solid choice for a rainy Tuesday when you want to feel a bit fancy and old-fashioned. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything.