The Nightingale (1936) Review: Red Paint and Broken Plates

If you are looking for a relaxing Friday night movie, this isn’t it. You would probably enjoy this if you are a history nerd or into weird visual experiments from the early days of cinema.

People who want a clear, happy story will probably hate it. It is loud and very intense. 🚩

The story is set in pre-revolutionary Russia. Everything centers on this massive porcelain factory where the workers are basically treated like garbage.

The first thing you notice is the color. It is not like modern movies at all.

It uses this old two-color process that makes everything look slightly sunburnt or dusty. Since this was the first Soviet color film, it feels like they were really trying to show off what they could do with red and green.

The way the fire in the kilns looks is actually pretty cool. It has this deep, angry glow that feels more real than CGI.

Grunya is the main character. She spends most of the movie looking very determined and shouting at people to wake up.

She is trying to get everyone to riot. The factory owners are exactly what you expect—just total jerks with no souls.

I really liked the shots of the actual porcelain. You see these delicate, tiny cups being made by these big, dirty hands.

The contrast is pretty obvious, but it works. It makes you feel bad for the plates and the people. 🏺

There is a scene where they start smashing everything. It is surprisingly satisfying to watch.

I kept thinking about Little Caesar while watching the crowd scenes. Even though that is a gangster movie, it has that same kind of 1930s energy where everyone is constantly yelling.

The music is... a lot. They call it The Nightingale because of the singing, but sometimes it just blasts over the dialogue.

I noticed one guy in the background during the riot who looked completely lost. He didn't look like he wanted a revolution; he looked like he just wanted to find his hat. 😂

The director, Nikolai Ekk, clearly loved big groups of people. Every shot is packed with faces and arms waving around.

It is not as polished or clean as something like Olympia. It feels much more sweaty and cramped.

Some of the acting is way over the top. One reaction shot of a factory boss lasts about ten seconds too long.

He just stares at the camera with this mean face. You get the point after three seconds, but it just keeps going.

The ending feels very rushed. It doesn't really care about the characters as much as it cares about the message.

I found myself wondering what happened to the porcelain after the cameras stopped rolling. That is a lot of wasted pottery.

Is it a masterpiece? Not really. But it is a weird piece of history that is worth seeing if you are tired of the same old stuff on streaming.

The red colors are so bright they almost hurt your eyes. It makes the whole movie feel like a fever dream about labor unions.

Anyway, it is a short watch. Just do not expect any subtlety or quiet moments. 📣