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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Great Flirtation remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly? Maybe not. Unless you have a specific itch for 1930s studio dramas where everyone talks like they’re performing for the back row of a balcony, The Great Flirtation might just put you to sleep. If you like watching Adolphe Menjou being smug, you'll be fine. If you’re looking for a tight, punchy story, you’re looking in the wrong place.
The whole premise is just one big, long argument about fame. Elissa Landi plays the wife whose star is rising, and you can just feel the air leave the room whenever her husband gets on screen. It’s like watching a balloon slowly deflate.
The jealousy angle is supposed to be heavy, but it mostly just feels silly. It’s not exactly the kind of nuance you’d find in Poil de carotte, where the emotional stakes actually feel real. Here, it’s all tuxedos and pouting.
There’s a moment near the middle where a character walks across the room, stops, looks at a painting, and then just sighs. Why? I don't know. The director probably needed to fill time. It lingers so long it almost becomes a comedy bit.
I caught myself thinking about The Television Ghost halfway through just to distract myself. At least that one has a hook. This one just has people being grumpy in very nice clothes. 🙄
It’s not a bad film, really. It’s just... incredibly flat. Like a soda that’s been sitting out for three hours. You drink it because it's there, but you’re not exactly enjoying the bubbles.
The dialogue is so stiff you could use it to hammer nails. "My dear, you don't understand the craft!" Yes, we get it. You're an actor. We've been over this for an hour now.
It’s fine if you want something to play in the background while you fold laundry. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🎞️