Redemption (1930) Review: John Gilbert’s Voice Isn’t Actually That Bad

If you have a couple of hours and want to see what a mid-life crisis looked like in 1930, this is your movie. It is mostly for people who love old-school melodrama and don't mind a lot of sighing.

If you want fast pacing or characters who make logical choices, you will absolutely hate this. It's very Russian, which means everyone is miserable even when they are winning. 🇷🇺

John Gilbert plays Fedya, and honestly, the guy just looks tired from the start. He steals Lisa (Eleanor Boardman) from Victor Karenin, who is played by Conrad Nagel.

Conrad Nagel is the human equivalent of a glass of lukewarm water here. He is so nice and so boring that you almost understand why Lisa goes for the guy with the messy hair and the drinking problem.

The whole thing is based on a Tolstoy play called The Living Corpse. It’s got that heavy, 19th-century vibe where people think the only way to solve a problem is to disappear or shoot themselves.

I noticed early on that the sound quality is a bit hit or miss. Since it was 1930, you can tell they were still figuring out where to hide the microphones. 🎙️

Sometimes a character walks three feet to the left and suddenly they sound like they are shouting from a basement. It’s kind of funny if you aren't taking it too seriously.

Gilbert's voice is the big talking point because this was his first big sound film. People said his voice was too high for a leading man, but he sounds totally fine to me.

He has this very theatrical way of talking that feels like he is trying to reach the back row of a stadium. It’s a bit much for a close-up, but it fits the "tortured soul" thing he is doing.

The Gypsy Scenes are the Best Part

The movie really wakes up when Fedya starts hanging out with the gypsies. Renée Adorée plays Masha, and she is easily the most interesting person on screen. 💃

When she sings, the movie feels alive for a second. The rest of the film is so stiff and formal, but these scenes have a bit of dirt and sweat to them.

There is this one shot where the camera just lingers on the gypsy singers for way too long. It feels like the director forgot to yell cut because he liked the music too much.

I didn't mind it, though. It’s better than watching Fedya mope in his fancy house.

Speaking of the house, the sets are huge. MGM clearly spent some money here, but the rooms feel empty.

It adds to the feeling that Fedya is lonely, I guess. Or maybe they just couldn't afford enough furniture after paying for Gilbert’s contract.

Lisa, the wife, spends most of the movie looking like she’s about to cry. Eleanor Boardman is good at it, but after the fifth scene of her staring sadly at a wall, you kind of want to tell her to go for a walk.

The plot gets really messy when Fedya decides to fakes his own death so Lisa can marry Victor. It is the kind of plan that only works in movies from a hundred years ago.

• The Mustache: Gilbert's mustache deserves its own acting credit. It is very pointy.
• The Drinking: There is a lot of pouring liquid into tiny glasses.
• The Lighting: Some of the shadows are very dramatic, almost like they wanted to be a horror movie.
• The Ending: It’s a tragedy, obviously. Don't expect a parade.

I kept thinking about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde while watching this. Not because of the plot, but because of that same heavy theatrical energy that early sound films had.

It also reminds me of Auferstehung. Katjuscha Maslowa, which is another Tolstoy story that feels just as bleak.

There’s a scene in a courtroom toward the end that feels like it goes on for ten years. Everyone is talking at once and the judge looks like he wants to go home as much as I did.

Fedya shows up looking like a total wreck, and you can see Gilbert really leaning into the unwashed look. He looks like he hasn't slept in a week.

It's actually some of his best acting in the movie. He stops being a "movie star" and just looks like a guy who messed up everything he ever touched.

Is it a great movie? Not really. It’s a bit of a clunky transition piece from the silent era to sound.

But if you like seeing how Hollywood used to handle "serious art," it is worth a look. Just maybe have some coffee ready for the second act.

One more thing—the way they handle the "scandal" of the divorce is so dated. It’s hard to remember that people used to care this much about paperwork and social standing.

I found myself rooting for Masha to just take Fedya and run away to a different movie entirely. She was way too cool for him anyway. ✌️

The final shot is supposed to be very moving, but I was mostly just looking at the background extras. Some of them look very confused about where they are supposed to stand.

Overall, it's a fascinating failure. It’s got all the pieces of a masterpiece but they don't quite fit together right. Kind of like Fedya himself.