The Pointing Finger (1933): A dusty bit of British noir

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much you love 1930s British crime dramas. If you want a fast-paced thriller, skip it. If you enjoy watching a bunch of people in drawing rooms trying to act like they aren't hiding a murder, then you're in the right place.

It’s a bit of a dry watch, honestly. Don't go in expecting the grit of Mutiny or the slapstick fun you might find in something like The Chimp.

The vibe is... stiff

Everything in The Pointing Finger happens at a glacial pace. The Honorable James Mallory spends half the film just looking stressed. I mean, I get it, he's broke. But the way he constantly adjusts his cuffs makes me think he's just worried about a stain on his sleeve.

The lighting in those old manor house sets is always so moody. It feels like someone was constantly dimming the lamps just to make sure we knew somebody was about to do something shady. 🕯️

Odd details that stuck out

There is this one scene with a letter that lingers for way too long. The camera just sits there, staring at the paper. It’s almost like the director forgot to yell 'cut' and just went to grab a sandwich.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Pointing Finger (1933) through its definitive frames.

Also, the way people enter rooms in this movie is hilarious. They always stand in the doorway for three seconds before saying anything. Like they're waiting for a cue that never comes. It’s a very specific kind of awkwardness that you only get in these older studio pictures.

A bit of a tangent

I kept thinking about Hobson's Choice while watching this. There’s a certain weight to the dialogue here that feels like it belongs on a stage rather than a screen. It’s not necessarily bad, but it makes the whole thing feel like you're watching a play through a keyhole.

The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it rushes through a plot point that actually needed room to breathe, and then it spends ten minutes on a butler walking across a hallway. 🏃‍♂️💨

The verdict

It's not going to change your life. It’s a perfectly fine way to kill an hour if you’re into the whole 'aristocrat in trouble' trope. Just keep your coffee close so you don't doze off during the long stretches of dialogue about deeds and estates.

It’s definitely a product of its time. Very British, very polite, and very concerned with who owns what. If that sounds like your cup of tea, go for it.