Greta Garbo stares at the ocean in The Single Standard (1929)

Is this worth watching today? Honestly, if you like looking at Greta Garbo’s face for eighty minutes, then yes, absolutely.

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller where things actually happen in a logical sequence, you will probably hate it and want your time back.

It’s a movie for people who like vibes and big hats and the way light hits a silent film star’s cheekbones.

The whole point of the story is that Arden (Garbo) thinks it is unfair that men can have affairs and 'experiences' while women have to stay pure and boring.

She calls it the single standard. She wants one rule for everyone.

It starts with this great scene in the rain where she refuses an umbrella. She just walks through the downpour, getting totally soaked, because she feels like it.

I realy loved that bit. It felt like she was actually annoyed with the world, not just acting annoyed.

Then she meets Packy, played by Nils Asther, who is a painter and a sailor and has a very thin mustache.

They have this instant connection that mostly involves them staring at each other without blinking for several seconds at a time.

They go off on his boat to the South Seas. It’s all very romantic and dreamy, but the pacing gets a little weird here.

They spend a lot of time just... being on the boat. You can almost feel the movie stalling while it waits for the next plot point to arrive.

I found myself wondering about the logistics of their luggage. Like, did she pack for a month? She has so many outfits.

Nils Asther is fine, I guess. He looks the part of a moody artist who will eventually break your heart.

He’s definitely more interesting than the other guy, Tommy, who is played by Johnny Mack Brown. Tommy is just... there.

Tommy is the 'safe' choice, the guy who waits at home and hopes she gets all the rebellion out of her system.

Watching him wait reminded me a bit of the domestic stuff in The Broken Butterfly, though Garbo has way more screen presence.

Eventually, Packy decides he needs to be alone because he’s a 'lone wolf' or whatever, and he just dumps her.

It’s pretty cold. He basically just tells her the trip is over and she needs to go back to her real life.

The way Garbo reacts is why she was a star. She doesn't scream or cry hysterically; she just looks like the lights went out inside her eyes.

There is a scene later where she is holding a baby. It feels a bit forced, like the studio wanted to remind us that she is still 'motherly' despite her wild ideas.

The kid is cute, but the transition into domestic life feels super rushed. One minute she is on a yacht, the next she is a polite wife.

I noticed a small detail during a party scene where the extras look like they are having way more fun than the main characters.

There is one woman in the background who is just absolutely going for it with a glass of punch. I couldn't stop watching her.

The movie doesn't really have the wild energy of something like Tillie's Punctured Romance. It’s much more of a 'stare into the distance' kind of film.

Sometimes the title cards are a bit much. They try to explain the 'philosophy' of the single standard, but Garbo’s face explains it better than the words do.

I did find myself thinking about how much technology has changed when they showed some of the household items. It made me think of How to Use the Dial Telephone, just because everything looks so heavy and complicated back then.

The ending is a bit of a letdown if you wanted her to actually win. She kind of just accepts that she has to play the game.

It’s a bit of a bummer. But, it’s a realistic bummer for 1929.

The costumes are incredible, though. Every time she changes her hat, it feels like a major cinematic event.

If you like the 'sensitive man' trope, you might find some of it funny. Nils Asther acts with his whole body, even his elbows seem sad sometimes.

It’s much more serious than something like A He-Male Vamp. It takes itself very, very seriously.

I think the middle section on the boat goes on about ten minutes too long. You get the point pretty quickly: they are in love and the water is pretty.

There’s a shot where she’s leaning against the railing and the wind is just perfectly blowing her scarf. It’s so staged, but it looks perfect.

I’m glad I watched it, even if the ending felt a bit like a surrender. 🎬

It’s a good one for a rainy afternoon when you don’t want to think too hard but want to feel something vaguely poetic.

Just don’t expect a lot of action. It’s mostly just Garbo being Garbo, which is usually enough anyway.