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8.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 8.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Soaring Maiden remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're the type of person who digs through archives to find out what people were laughing at in the 1930s. If you want something that moves fast or has modern stakes, look elsewhere. But if you like watching character actors just exist on screen, you might get a kick out of it.
It feels very much like a play that just happened to have a camera pointed at it. There is a lot of bustling about, doors opening and closing, and people shouting lines across rooms. It’s all very theatrical in a way that feels almost cute now.
S.Z. Sakall is the anchor here. He’s doing that thing he does—the flustered, well-meaning guy who is clearly out of his depth. Watching him try to fix the romantic mess between his niece and her fiancé is the only reason this thing holds together. Without him, it’s just people walking in circles.
I couldn't help but compare the frantic energy here to something like Pension Schöller. They share that same DNA of people making problems for themselves that could be solved by just, I don't know, saying one honest sentence? But nobody ever does that in these movies.
The pacing is a bit of a nightmare if you’re used to modern editing. It lingers. Sometimes it lingers on a reaction shot until you start wondering if the film reel got stuck. I actually laughed out loud once, not because of the joke, but because of how long they waited to cut away after the punchline.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even trying to be. It’s just a snapshot of a time when comedy meant wearing silly hats and running into the wrong room at the wrong time. Is it worth your time? Maybe for a rainy afternoon when you don't want to think about anything at all. ☕️
