Raquel Meller: A review of that one short where she stares at you

Is it worth your time?

If you have three minutes and you like looking at ghosts, then yes. It's definitely worth it.

If you need explosions or people talking about their feelings for two hours, you are going to hate this so much. It's just a woman and a camera.

I found this while falling down a rabbit hole of early silent stuff, and it’s weirdly hypnotic. Raquel Meller was this massive deal in Spain and France, and you can totally see why here. 💃

The first thing you notice is the grain. It’s thick. It looks like the movie was filmed through a bowl of oatmeal, but it adds to the vibe.

She’s standing there in this crazy outfit that probably weighed more than I do. The way she holds herself is so... stiff? But also graceful.

It’s not like acting today. Everything is about the Face. She gives the camera these looks that make you feel like you owe her money.

I actually think she’s staring directly into my soul. There’s no blinking. Barely any movement at all for a few seconds.

It reminds me a bit of the intensity you see in The Unknown, where the expressions do all the heavy lifting because the technology couldn't do much else.

There is this one moment where she moves her hand near her face. It’s so slow. It’s like she’s moving through underwater or something.

The lighting is pretty basic. It’s flat and bright, making her skin look like white marble. It’s kind of ghostly, honestly.

I love how the background is just a dark void. There’s no set. No props. Just Raquel. 🎥

It’s a bit like watching Eubie Blake Plays His Fantasy on Swanee River in the sense that it's just a pure recording of talent. No fluff.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Raquel Meller (1929) through its definitive frames.

I wonder what she was thinking about. She looks bored but also like she’s about to kill someone. It’s a great combo.

The film quality has these vertical scratches that keep jumping around. I started timing them. One happens every four seconds on the left side.

It’s weirdly calming to watch. Like a visual white noise machine from 1922.

I tried to imagine being in a theater back then and seeing this. It must have been like seeing a giant goddess on the screen. 🌟

Compared to something with more of a story like The Man Who Could Not Lose, this is nothing. But it’s also everything?

I don't know. I’m rambling. It’s just a very cool piece of history that doesn't ask for much of your time.

The way she adjusts her shawl is the most dramatic thing I’ve seen all week. I’m not even kidding.

It’s got that raw feeling like Anniversary of the Revolution where you just feel the weight of time passing by.

Some weird stuff I noticed:

• Her hat is gigantic. I think a bird could live in there and she wouldn't even know.
• There’s a tiny black speck that stays on her chin for about ten seconds. It’s just a piece of dust on the film, but it looks like a mole that disappears.
• She has this tiny smirk at the very end. It’s like she knows she’s better than us.
• The way the light hits her eyes makes them look like two burning coals.

If you’re into the vibes of The Song of Songs, you’ll probably dig this. It’s that same kind of melodramatic stare-down.

I think the film is actually slightly slowed down? Or maybe she just moved that slowly. People were more patient back then, I guess.

Anyway, it’s short. It’s pretty. It’s a bit creepy. Check it out if you want to feel sophisticated for five minutes without actually having to read a book. 📖

I’m gonna go watch it again and see if I can figure out what that embroidery on her dress is. It looks like flowers, or maybe tiny screaming faces. Hard to tell with the grain.

It’s a solid watch for history nerds. Everyone else will probably be confused. That’s okay though. Confused is a good way to be sometimes.