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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Runaway Princess remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this movie worth your time today? Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for the 1920s and can handle some very slow pacing.
If you like old-school charm and seeing how people dressed nearly a hundred years ago, you'll probably dig it. 🎩
But if you need big explosions or fast-talking dialogue, you are gonna hate this one within ten minutes.
It’s one of those movies that feels like it’s caught between two worlds, right at the edge of the silent era ending. 📽️
Norah Baring plays the princess, and she has this way of looking absolutely terrified and bored at the same time.
She decides she’s had enough of the royal stuff and just bolts, which is a pretty relatable mood for a Tuesday morning.
The whole setup with the forger is where things get kind of weird and specific.
There is a scene where they focus on the ink and the paper for what feels like an eternity.
I actually liked that part because it felt like the movie was obsessed with the craft of being a criminal. ✒️
The prince shows up in a disguise that wouldn't fool a toddler, but everyone in the movie acts like he's a total stranger.
He's played by Paul Cavanagh, who has this very stiff way of standing, like he's worried his suit might crack if he moves.
It reminds me a little bit of the vibe in The Drums of Jeopardy, but with less dread and more pining.
The way the camera lingers on Baring's face during the more emotional scenes is almost uncomfortable.
Her eyes are so big they take up half the screen, and you can see her trying to act through the heavy makeup.
There’s this one moment where she’s sitting by a window and the lighting hits her just right, making her look like a ghost.
The villainous forger guy is great because he’s not just evil, he’s sort of pathetic in a way that makes him more interesting.
He thinks he’s so smart, but you can tell he’s just one bad day away from a total breakdown.
I noticed a stray cat in the background of one of the street scenes that seemed more interested in a piece of trash than the actors. 🐱
Those are the little things that make these old films feel real to me, even when the plot is silly.
It’s definitely not as heavy as something like Hell's Heroes, which is fine because sometimes you just want a light story about a girl escaping her life.
The pacing is definitely an issue, and I found myself checking my phone during a few of the longer walks through hallways.
There is a lot of walking in this movie. Like, a lot of walking.
The script, written by Lady Russell and Alfred Schirokauer, feels a bit like a stage play that someone decided to film outside for a change.
Some of the dialogue cards (since it’s mostly silent) are a bit flowery and hard to read quickly.
I wonder if people back then actually talked like that or if it was just "movie speak."
The ending is exactly what you think it’s gonna be, no surprises there.
But the journey is okay, especially if you appreciate the grainy, flickering quality of old film stock.
It’s got a bit of that melodrama you’d find in This Woman, but maybe a little less intense.
I kept thinking about how cold it must have been on some of those sets because you can almost see the actors shivering.
The costumes are the real stars here, to be honest.
The princess wears this one dress that looks like it weighs fifty pounds and has about a thousand sequins on it. ✨
It’s a far cry from the gritty stuff like Under the Red Robe, but it has its own tiny place in cinema history.
If you're looking for a masterpiece, keep looking.
But if you want to see a weird little story about a girl who just wanted to be someone else for a while, give it a shot.
Just make sure you have some coffee nearby to help with those long silences. ☕
It’s not a movie I’ll think about every day, but I’m glad I saw it.
There is a weird comfort in these old black-and-white worlds where everything is either perfectly right or horribly wrong.
It’s better than Everybody's Business, at least in terms of not being totally boring.
The Prince is a bit of a dork, but I guess that’s the point?
Anyway, watch it for the hats if nothing else.
IMDb 5.3
1925
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