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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Strauss' Great Waltz remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you grew up watching black-and-white matinees on a rainy Sunday, you’ll probably find this charming enough. If you’re allergic to operetta-style melodrama and people bursting into song to express their feelings about pastries, skip it. It’s definitely not for the modern thrill-seeker.
The whole thing feels like a very expensive stage play that got lost on its way to the theater. Edmund Gwenn is doing his best to be the grumpy, disapproving father, and honestly, he’s the only one who seems to be having any fun with the script.
The music is obviously the point here. There’s a scene where the "Blue Danube" finally clicks into place, and it’s actually kind of sweet, even if it feels a bit like a fever dream of violins. It reminded me a little of the frantic, messy energy in Paris-Cinéma, just without the grit.
Jessie Matthews is clearly trying to hold the whole thing together, but the writing keeps pulling her back into these weird, stiff romantic dilemmas. There’s a lot of staring longingly at sheet music. Like, an uncomfortable amount.
It’s funny, I keep comparing the pacing to stuff like Money Isn't Everything where the plot just sort of wanders off to take a nap. Here, the plot doesn’t sleep; it just runs in circles around a piano.
Also, does anyone else think the lighting in the ballroom scenes makes everyone look like they’re being haunted by their own shadows? It’s spooky for a movie about a waltz.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a decent way to kill an hour if you want to turn your brain off and just listen to some strings. Don’t go in expecting a life-changing experience. Just expect a lot of waltzing and a fair amount of sighing.