DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Office Girl remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this movie worth your time today? Yes, but only if you have a soft spot for the early days of sound when everyone was still figuring out how microphones worked. If you hate movies where people burst into song while doing boring admin work, you will probably want to turn this off after five minutes.
It is a movie for people who like the idea of Vienna in the 30s being a place where everyone is suspiciously happy. I watched this on a rainy afternoon and it actually did the trick. 🎬
The story is about Susie. She comes from Germany to Vienna looking for a better life, which in this movie means sitting at a desk and typing really fast. Renate Müller plays her and she is just... radiant. She has this energy that makes the whole screen feel a bit brighter, even when the film grain is heavy.
There is this one scene early on where all the secretaries are typing at once. It is not just noise; it is like a musical rhythm. The click-clack of the keys becomes the beat for the scene. It is honestly one of the coolest things in the movie, even if it goes on a bit long.
You can tell the director, Victor Saville, was really proud of that bit. It feels much more creative than some of the stuff we saw in Appearances from around the same era. It is that specific kind of early-talkie experimentation that I really love.
Susie ends up staying late one night to finish some work. That is when she meets 'the man.' He is played by Owen Nares. He is handsome in that very stiff, 1930s way where his hair looks like it is made of plastic.
She thinks he is just another clerk. In reality, he is the big boss. The manager. The guy who owns the whole place. He doesn't tell her the truth because, well, then there wouldn't be a movie, would there? 🙄
Then there is Jack Hulbert. He plays the assistant or something similar. He is basically there to do physical comedy and sing. He has this massive chin and he uses it for maximum comedic effect. Some of his jokes feel a bit dusty now, but his energy is hard to hate.
The movie is also known as Sunshine Susie in some places. That title actually fits better. The whole thing feels like it was filmed inside a bottle of lemonade. It is fizzy and sweet, but maybe doesn't have much nutritional value.
I noticed that the sound is a bit wonky in the office scenes. You can hear the echo of the room. It makes it feel like you are actually there, sitting on a hard wooden chair. It is a small thing, but I liked it more than the polished, fake sound of modern movies.
The romance itself is... fine? It is very polite. They don't have much chemistry beyond looking at each other with big eyes. But Renate Müller sells it. You want her to be happy because she seems so genuine.
One weird detail: the way they drink coffee in this movie. They do it with such intensity. Like the coffee is the most important thing in Vienna. Maybe it was! ☕
The plot doesn't really go anywhere unexpected. You know exactly how it will end the moment they meet. But that is not really why you watch a movie like The Office Girl. You watch it for the atmosphere. It feels like a postcard from a world that doesn't exist anymore.
It reminds me a bit of the pacing in Applause, though that one is way more depressing. This is the happy version of the early sound era. No one is dying in the gutter here; they are just accidentally falling in love with millionaires.
Is it a masterpiece? No. Absolutely not. The middle part drags quite a bit when Jack Hulbert starts doing his long comedy bits. I found myself checking my phone once or twice during the big office party scene.
But then Susie would smile again and I was back in. She had such a tragic life in real history, so seeing her this happy and bubbly is actually a bit moving in a meta way. It makes you appreciate the fake happiness of the movie even more.
The costumes are pretty great too. Lots of sharp suits and those little hats that women used to wear that look like they are defying gravity. 🎩
If you want something light and don't mind the black and white flicker, give it a go. It is a nice reminder that even 90 years ago, people were already complaining about their office jobs. Just with more singing.
It is a bit of a trifle. A sugary, light snack of a film. Sometimes that is exactly what you need when you are tired of 'serious' cinema. It doesn't try to be deep. It just tries to be nice. And it succeeds at that.
I'll probably forget most of the plot by next week. But I'll remember the sound of those typewriters. Click-clack-ding!
IMDb 7.3
1921
Community
Log in to comment.
