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4.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Diplomats remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, The Diplomats. Is it worth watching today? Only if you’re already a fan of really, really old films, especially silent comedies, or just super curious about what people found funny way back when. If you’re looking for something with crisp dialogue or a tight story, you’ll probably find yourself a bit lost and maybe a little bored. But for those who appreciate a good, chaotic, sometimes baffling peek into cinema history? There’s a certain charm here. ✨
Right from the start, you get this vibe of absolute controlled chaos. It’s like everyone on screen just had too much coffee. Paul McCullough, bless his heart, is a whirlwind. He doesn't just walk into a room; he *explodes* into it. There’s a scene where he’s trying to retrieve a dropped hat, and it just escalates into this whole body struggle with a coat rack. It goes on a bit, but his commitment? Top-notch.
Marguerite Churchill, too, is a standout. Her expressions are just fantastic. One minute she’s all poise, the next she’s got this wide-eyed panic look that feels genuinely unhinged. She’s trying to keep a straight face through some utterly ridiculous situation, and you can almost see her battling a giggle. It’s a very human moment.
The whole film has this slightly off-kilter rhythm. The pacing isn’t what we’d call 'modern' at all. Some gags linger, like that hat scene. Others are over in a blink, leaving you to wonder if you even caught the punchline. You just kind of roll with it. 🤷♀️
There’s a bit with a very important-looking envelope that gets passed around like a hot potato. It’s supposed to be suspenseful, I think? But mostly, it just becomes a vehicle for people to do increasingly silly physical comedy. Bobby Clark’s movements here are so quick, almost like a puppet on strings. He’s trying to be sneaky, but he’s just *too* much.
One specific shot of John Baston just standing there, looking utterly bewildered while everything around him goes haywire, really stuck with me. He’s like the eye of the storm. He doesn’t *do* much in that moment, but his face tells a whole story of 'what even is happening right now?' It’s a very understated kind of funny.
The intertitles are… well, they’re there. Sometimes they just state the obvious. Other times, they try to add a bit of wit, which sometimes lands, sometimes doesn’t. It adds to the overall quirky feel, though. Like someone’s trying to give you the CliffsNotes in real-time.
What’s interesting is how much energy they all put in. It’s a silent film, so every emotion, every thought, has to be broadcast with your whole body. And they really commit. You see it in Andrés de Segurola’s grand, sweeping gestures whenever he’s trying to make a point. He’s very… theatrical. You get the sense he’s a big personality, even without hearing a single word.
The sets look pretty grand, for the time. Lots of big rooms, fancy furniture. But then someone inevitably crashes into something, and you remember it’s a comedy. There’s a particular chandelier that feels like it’s just *waiting* to fall, and you spend half the film wondering if it ever will. (Spoiler: it doesn’t. Which is almost a bigger joke.)
Ultimately, The Diplomats isn't a film you'd put on for a casual Friday night. It's more of a specific historical artifact. A very energetic, sometimes perplexing, artifact. You leave it feeling like you’ve been through something, even if you’re not entirely sure what. But there’s a certain joy in that kind of old-school, slightly rough-around-the-edges filmmaking. It feels handmade. Like a good, messy pie. 🥧
IMDb 6.8
1917
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