Souls in Bondage (1930) - A very dusty, very dramatic Polish relic

If you have a couple of hours and want to feel like you've been transported to a cold, moody studio in 1930s Poland, this is the one. It is definitely worth watching if you care about how movies looked right before sound took over everything.

But honestly? If you can't stand slow-moving plots where people stare at walls for a long time, you will probably hate this. It’s not exactly a thrill ride. 🎥

The movie is called Souls in Bondage and it really leans into that title. Everyone feels trapped.

The main guy is a painter, and he spends a lot of time looking tortured. He’s got that classic 1930s "I am an artist and therefore I must suffer" vibe going on.

There is this one scene in his studio where the light comes through the window in these sharp, dusty streaks. It looked so real I almost coughed.

I noticed that the makeup on the women is a bit distracting. Their lips are painted so dark they look like black ink in the black-and-white shots.

It reminds me a little bit of the vibe in The Brute, where everything just feels a bit heavy and oppressive. But this one feels even more stuck in its own head.

Ludwik Solski is in this, and he’s basically a legend in Polish theater. You can tell because he has this way of holding a room even when he’s just sitting there.

Some of the other actors feel a bit like they are still trying to figure out how much to move their arms. It’s that awkward middle ground between silent acting and real life.

There is a lot of longing looks. Like, way too many.

One shot of a letter being opened lasts so long I actually checked my phone. I think the director really wanted us to feel the weight of the paper or something.

The plot is based on Bolesław Prus, who is a big deal in Polish literature. You can feel the "literary" weight dragging the movie down sometimes.

It’s a lot of talk about honor and what society thinks of you. It’s funny how much people in 1930 worried about what their neighbors thought.

If you've seen The Screaming Shadow, you know how these older films can sometimes get weirdly intense about small things. This isn't a thriller like that, but the tension is there.

I liked the way the city looked in the background shots. It’s a version of Warsaw that doesn’t really exist anymore, which is kind of haunting if you think about it too much.

The costumes are pretty great, though. Lots of heavy coats and hats that look like they weigh ten pounds.

There’s a bit with a mirror that I really liked. The way the character looks at themselves and you can see the regret on their face without them saying a word.

It’s much better than something like Home Talent which feels way more disorganized. This movie at least knows it wants to be a tragedy.

I did find myself wondering why the painter didn't just... leave? But I guess that’s the "bondage" part of the title.

The ending feels a bit rushed compared to the rest of the film. It’s like they realized they were running out of film and had to wrap it up fast.

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it’s got a specific texture to it. It’s grainy and dark and smells like old cigarette smoke. 🚬

Actually, there’s a scene where someone lights a cigarette and the smoke just hangs in the air for an eternity. It’s strangely beautiful.

If you’re looking for a double feature, maybe pair it with Once Over just to see how different the energy was back then.

Overall, I'm glad I watched it, even if I don't think I'd ever sit through it again. It’s a one-time experience for a rainy Sunday.

Didja notice?

• The way the paintbrushes are organized in the studio is way too neat. No real artist is that tidy.
• There is a dog in one scene that looks very confused to be there.
• The subtitles I had were a bit wonky, but you don't need them to get the gist of the crying.
• That one hat Alicja Halama wears is absolutely massive.

It’s a weird little window into a world that’s gone now. 🕰️