Vererbte Triebe: A 1920s Silent Movie That Gets Very Awkward

If you aren't into silent movies where people stare intensely at nothing for ten seconds, just skip this one. Vererbte Triebe: Der Kampf ums neue Geschlecht is for the folks who like digging through the dusty corners of 1920s German cinema. It’s a weird watch today.

It’s definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of Hans Albers or just want to see how they handled 'taboo' subjects back then. But if you hate slow pacing and grainy footage, you’ll probably be bored to tears within twenty minutes. 😴

The story follows this sailor who comes home after being at sea for way too long. He goes to a nightclub, which is where all the trouble starts in these old movies. He meets a woman, they fall in love, and then—bam—he finds out she’s actually his sister.

It’s that classic melodrama trope that feels a bit like a soap opera from a hundred years ago. The movie tries to be about 'inherited drives' and biology, which was a big deal in Germany at the time. It feels a bit like The Girl on the Stairs in terms of that heavy, dark atmosphere.

Walter Rilla plays the sailor, and he has this very specific way of looking confused. Like he’s trying to remember if he left the stove on back at the ship. He spends a lot of time looking at Maria Matray with this puppy-dog expression that gets a bit much after a while.

The nightclub scenes are easily the best part of the whole thing. The lighting is all moody and the extras in the background look like they’re actually having a decent time. You can almost smell the stale cigarette smoke through the screen. 🚬

There’s one shot where a character is just sitting at a table looking at a drink, and the camera stays on them for what feels like an eternity. I think it was supposed to be deep. To me, it just looked like they forgot to yell 'cut.'

Hans Albers shows up, and even though he isn't the main focus, he just has that energy. He walks into a room and you immediately stop looking at everyone else. It’s funny how some actors just had that 'it' factor even before movies had sound.

The whole 'sister' reveal happens in a way that feels very sudden. One minute they are flirting, and the next, everyone is crying and looking horrified. The movie doesn't really give you time to process the shock before it moves on to the next big emotional beat.

I noticed that the makeup on the women is incredibly heavy, even for a silent film. Their eyes look like they were painted on with charcoal. It makes the emotional scenes look a bit like a horror movie sometimes. 👻

There is a lot of talk—well, intertitles—about 'instincts' and 'blood.' It gets a little preachy. The film really wants you to think about science and morality, but it mostly just feels like a tragic romance that went off the rails.

The pacing is all over the place. The first half drags while they are establishing the romance. Then the second half rushes through the fallout of the secret so fast you might miss a few details if you blink.

I wish there was more of the actual sailing stuff. You see the boat at the start, and then it’s just rooms and clubs. It feels a little claustrophobic after a while. Maybe that was the point? To make the family drama feel trapped?

It’s not as funny or lighthearted as something like The General, obviously. It’s heavy, German, and very concerned with being 'important.' But it’s also kind of fascinating to see what they thought was scandalous in 1929.

The ending feels a bit abrupt. It doesn't really resolve the 'science' part of the plot very well. It just sort of stops once the crying is over.

One thing that really stuck with me was a small moment where a character drops a glass. The way the camera lingers on the broken shards felt more emotional than the actual dialogue. It’s those little visual things that make these silents worth the effort. 🍷

If you’re looking for a polished masterpiece, this isn’t it. It’s a bit clunky and the 'inherited' theme is a bit dated, to say the least. But for a late-night watch when you want something moody, it hits the spot.

Didja notice?

• The guy in the background of the club who keeps adjusting his tie like he’s nervous.
• The weirdly long shot of a door handle. Why?
• How the sailor’s hat stays perfectly on his head no matter how much he mopes.
• The font on the intertitles is actually pretty cool and fits the vibe.

Anyway, it’s a decent slice of history. Just don’t expect a happy ending. Or a logical one. It’s mostly just vibes and tragedy.