The Scarlet Dove (1928) is a weird, dusty silent trip

If you are the type who needs a movie to move fast or have people actually talking, you should probably just keep scrolling. This is for the weirdos like me who enjoy watching silent films from 1928 that feel like they were filmed in a basement filled with incense smoke.

It is definitely worth a look if you are a fan of Margaret Livingston. She is usually the 'bad girl' in these movies, but here she gets to do something a little different. People who hate slow, flickering black-and-white melodrama will absolutely despise this though. It is very much of its time.

The whole thing is set in Russia, or at least what people in California thought Russia looked like in the twenties. There are a lot of fuzzy hats and very heavy-looking coats.

Livingston plays a singer who falls for a young lieutenant, played by Robert Frazer. He is okay, I guess, but he’s a bit of a wet blanket.

The real energy comes from Lowell Sherman. He plays the General and he is just deliciously mean. He has this way of leaning into the frame that makes you want to wash your hands.

There is one scene where they are all at a dinner table and the tension is so thick you could cut it with a dull knife. Nobody is eating. They just stare at each other while the shadows on the wall do all the work.

I noticed a weird smudge on the lens during one of the outdoor shots. It stays there for about three minutes. It kept distracting me from the actual plot, which is mostly just people being sad in expensive rooms.

The movie is a lot heavier than something like Smile Please. It takes itself very seriously, which can be a bit much after an hour.

I think the writers, including Viola Brothers Shore, were trying to make a big point about sacrifice. Or maybe they just wanted to show off the fancy costumes.

There is a bird—the dove from the title—that shows up in a cage. It looks like it wanted to be in a different movie. It just sits there looking confused while people cry nearby.

The lighting is actually pretty cool in the tavern scenes. They used these deep blacks that make the characters look like they are drowning in the room.

It reminds me a little of the vibe in The Dangerous Flirt, but way less fun. The Scarlet Dove wants you to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.

The middle part of the film drags quite a bit. I found myself looking at the background actors more than the leads.

One guy in the back of the tavern scene is just aggressively pretending to drink from an empty cup. It is hilarious once you notice it. He tilts it back so far he should have drowned if there was actually water in there.

I wish the ending had more punch. It kind of just... happens.

It is like the producers ran out of money or the sun was going down and they just yelled 'wrap it up!' It is not as weird as Daigujin, but it has its moments of total strangeness.

Margaret Livingston has this one close-up near the end where her eyes look absolutely massive. It is the kind of acting you just don't see anymore.

She doesn't even move her face, she just *looks* at the camera and you know exactly how miserable she is. It is pretty impressive for a movie that feels otherwise a bit clunky.

If you’ve seen Fools for Luck, you know how these 1928 releases can be hit or miss. This one is a soft hit, mostly for the atmosphere.

I wouldn't go out of my way to find a high-quality restoration of this, but it’s a nice thing to have on in the background on a rainy Sunday. Just don't expect it to change your life.

The costumes are the real stars anyway. I want that General's cape. Even if he is a jerk, he has excellent taste in outerwear. 🧥

Overall, it’s a bit of a mess, but a pretty one. It is the kind of movie that makes me miss when studios just threw money at 'Russian' dramas because they looked fancy.

Check it out if you can find it. But maybe keep a cup of coffee nearby for the second act. ☕