Watching Sud dolzhen prodolzhatsya: A sweaty, intense Soviet courtroom relic

You should watch this if you have a weirdly specific interest in how people looked at each other in 1930s Russia when they were scared. If you hate slow movies with a lot of talking and grainy sound, you will probably want to turn this off after five minutes.

It’s a movie that feels like it was filmed inside a pressure cooker. The title basically means "the trial must go on," and they really mean it.

Everything happens in these cramped rooms where the air looks like it’s made of dust and cigarette smoke. It reminded me a bit of The Big House because of that trapped feeling, even though the reasons for being trapped are totally different.

Viktor Kulakov is the main guy here, or at least he’s the one I kept watching. He has this face that looks like he’s constantly trying to remember if he left the stove on, but in a deadly serious way.

There is a scene where a man is testifying and he keeps wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. The movie stays on him for so long that you start to feel itchy yourself.

I noticed that the costumes are all slightly too big for the actors. It makes them look like children playing dress-up in their fathers' suits, which adds this weird layer of instability to the whole thing.

Raisa Yesipova has these eyes that just cut through the screen. She doesn't have to say much to make you feel like someone is in big trouble.

The sound quality is pretty rough, like everyone is talking through a thick wool blanket. You get used to it, but it makes the silence between lines feel even heavier.

I think I saw a fly land on a desk during one of the big speeches. Nobody swatted it, which is the kind of detail I love because it makes the whole thing feel real and unpolished.

It’s much more intense than Vzorvannye dni, even though that one has more action. This one is all about the eyes and the way people shift in their chairs.

There is a lot of talk about duty and the state, which can get a bit tiring if you aren't in the mood for a history lesson. But the way the actors deliver the lines makes it feel like life or death, which I guess it was back then.

The lighting is actually pretty cool for 1937. They use these deep shadows that make the courtroom look like a cave.

One character drops a glass of water, and the camera just stares at the wet spot on the floor. It felt like the movie was trying to tell me something important about that water, but I honestly have no idea what.

Maybe it was just a mistake they kept in. I like to think it was a mistake.

The pacing is a bit wonky. Some scenes go on forever, and then suddenly a bunch of stuff happens and you’re trying to keep up with who is accusing who.

It’s not a "fun" watch, but it’s fascinating. You can almost feel the actual history leaking out of the edges of the film.

I found myself wondering what the actors were thinking about while they were filming. They all look so genuinely worried.

The ending isn't a happy one, but you probably guessed that. It just sort of stops, leaving you feeling a bit cold.

If you like movies that feel like a time capsule, give it a go. Just don't expect any car chases or jokes.

It's just people in rooms, being very stressed out. And honestly, sometimes that's enough.