Trial for Marriage is the weirdest doctor's visit you'll ever see

Is this movie worth watching today? Only if you really like old-school PSAs or if you're a bit of a history nerd who enjoys seeing how people used to be scared into behaving. 💉

If you're looking for a real story with characters you actually care about, you should probably just watch The Cigarette Girl of Mosselprom instead. This one is more like being trapped in a classroom with a very angry teacher.

The whole thing is about a young guy who wants to 'run with the fast set.' I love that term. The fast set.

It makes it sound like they are all professional race car drivers or something. But really it just means they probably stay up past 9 PM and maybe dance a little too close.

His older cousin is a doctor and he is not having any of it. He decides the only way to save this kid is to show him the most miserable people in the city.

So they go on a hospital tour. It's not a nice tour with flowers and 'get well' cards.

The doctor starts pointing at patients and basically saying, 'See this guy? He went to a party once. Now he's doomed.'

It's very heavy-handed. The movie doesn't even try to be subtle about it.

The way the doctor cousin stares at the kid is actually kind of creepy. He has this intense look like he's waiting for the kid to just burst into tears.

The hospital scenes go on for a long time. Maybe too long.

You see people looking very sad in beds. The movie calls these 'social diseases' because they couldn't say the real words back then.

There is this one shot of a baby that is meant to be the big emotional punch. It feels like the movie is trying to win an argument by making you feel as guilty as possible.

The acting is pretty stiff, even for a silent film. The kid mostly just stands there with a blank face while the doctor talks and talks.

I noticed there's a smudge on the lens in one of the hallway scenes. It's distracting once you see it.

Also, the lighting in the doctor's office is weirdly dark. It looks like they were trying to save money on light bulbs.

The Weirdest Part

The best part—or the weirdest—is the 'Court of Public Opinion.' This is where the movie stops being a lecture and turns into a strange dream.

The protagonist is basically on trial for his life. Not for a crime, but for his 'morals.'

It’s very dramatic. Everyone is looking at him with judgey eyes.

It reminds me of Happiness a la Mode but if everyone in that movie was miserable and shouting at you.

The film makes sure the need seek treatment is emphasize. (Yes, the spelling on those old cards is sometimes a bit funny).

They really want you to know that if you mess up, you better go to the doctor immediately. But they also make the doctor seem like the scariest person on earth, so it’s a bit of a mixed message.

• The doctor's mustache is very impressive.
• The 'fast set' people look like they're having way more fun than the doctor.
• The courtroom scene has some cool shadows.
• One reaction shot of the kid lingers so long it becomes funny.

I found myself wondering what the actors thought while making this. Did they think they were making a masterpiece or just paying the rent?

The kid looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. Maybe he wanted to be in a western like Walloping Wallace instead of a movie about germs.

The pacing is very uneven. We spend ten minutes looking at hospital beds and then two minutes on the actual 'trial.'

It’s not exactly a fun watch. It’s more of a curiosity.

If you’ve ever seen Granton Trawler, you know how some movies just capture a specific time and place. This does that too, but the place is a very judgmental doctor's office.

There is a lot of silence that feels awkward rather than emotional. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you that this moment matters.

Does it work? Probably not for a modern audience. We’ve seen enough 'scare tactic' videos in school to be used to it.

But as a piece of history, it’s kind of wild. It shows how much they wanted to control young people back then.

"How will the Court of Public Opinion find against our young protagonist?"

The movie doesn't really give him a chance. It’s a rigged trial from the start.

I think the most interesting thing is how the movie treats 'public opinion' as a literal judge and jury. Like, your neighbors are the ones who decide if you’re a good person or not.

It’s a bit like The Pale Pack Train in terms of how isolated the characters feel. Everyone is just watching and waiting for someone to fail.

The ending doesn't feel like a conclusion. It just sort of... stops.

You’re left sitting there wondering if the kid actually learned anything. Or if he just went out and found a different 'fast set' to hang with.

If you want something that feels like a real movie, maybe try Moonlight for Two. That one won't give you a lecture about your life choices. 🌙

Overall, *Trial for Marriage* is a strange little relic. It’s preachy and stiff and the 'need seek treatment' message is hammered in with a mallet.

But the 'Court of Public Opinion' stuff is worth seeing once. Just to see how weird movies used to be.

Don't expect to be entertained in the normal way. Expect to be lectured by a man with a very stiff collar.