So lang' noch ein Walzer: A Dusty Waltz Through History

Is it worth your time?

If you like historical fluff, you might get a kick out of this. If you need a movie with actual pacing, stay away. This is strictly for people who want to look at old sets and hear some strings.

It’s not exactly The Cowboy and the Lady in terms of energy. It moves like molasses in winter.

The Strauss Experience

The whole thing is basically a parade of guys with fancy mustaches talking about music. Every scene feels like it was staged in a living room. You can almost smell the mothballs on the velvet curtains.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the leads. There’s one guy in the back of the ballroom scene who clearly forgot his choreography. He just stands there looking at his shoes for a solid minute. 🎻

A bit of a slog

It tries to be grand, but the budget clearly says otherwise. It reminded me a bit of the awkwardness in The Price of Silence where the silence feels less dramatic and more like someone forgot their lines.

The music is fine, I guess. But you can tell the sound recording was fighting the actors every step of the way. It’s thin. It’s tinny.

Quick thoughts

• The mustaches are truly the highlight of the production.
• I’m still not sure if the lead actually knows how to hold a violin.
• The ballroom scenes have that weird, empty echo you get in cheap studios.
• Why are there so many close-ups of people just nodding?

It’s not a disaster, but it’s not exactly cinema gold either. It just kind of exists. If you’re into the history of these old musical biopics, go for it. Otherwise, maybe just put on a record and skip the screen time.