Item: Show Boat
Rating: 7.4
Author: Archivist John

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school musicals where people actually knew how to sing without a computer cleaning it up, yeah, watch it. It’s perfect for a rainy Sunday. But if you get annoyed by pacing that feels like a slow-moving riverboat, or if you can't handle the dated social dynamics of 1930s cinema, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Irene Dunne is just magnetic here. There’s this one moment where she’s staring off-camera, and it feels like she’s looking at a future she isn't quite ready for yet. It’s small, quiet, and hits harder than any of the big production numbers.

And then there’s Paul Robeson. Good lord. When he sings, the air in the room just changes. It’s not just a performance; it feels like he’s pulling the sound right out of the floorboards of that boat.

Odd notes from my notebook

The lighting in the cabin scenes is surprisingly moody, almost like a noir flick from ten years later.
I spent way too much time looking at the background extras. Some of them are definitely just waiting for their lunch break.
The costumes are so over-the-top that I started to wonder how anyone walked around without tipping over.
There’s a weird transition around the hour mark that feels like they just cut a whole scene with a pair of rusty scissors.

Sometimes the movie feels like it’s straining under the weight of its own plot. It wants to be a tragedy, a romance, and a comedy all at once, and sometimes it just trips over itself. It lacks the sharp, clean lines you’d find in something like Camille, but that’s kind of the charm. It’s a bit of a disaster, but a beautiful one.

I found myself zoning out during some of the dialogue-heavy scenes. They just go on for a minute too long, like they were worried we wouldn't get the point the first time. But then a song starts and everything is forgiven. It’s that kind of movie. 🚢

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s just a damn good time with some songs that’ll stick in your head for three days straight. Don't overthink it.