Viereinhalb Musketiere: A Messy, Charming Time Capsule

Should you watch this?

Honestly, it depends on how much patience you have for vintage comedy that hasn't quite aged into a classic. If you love old European films with a frantic, stagey energy, you'll probably get a kick out of it. If you need a plot that actually makes sense by the second act, stay away. It’s loud, it’s busy, and it's definitely an acquired taste.

There is a specific kind of chaos in Viereinhalb Musketiere that reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Our Blushing Brides, though the tone is totally different. The characters are constantly rushing in and out of rooms like they’re trying to catch a train that left ten minutes ago. It’s exhausting, but in a weirdly fun way.

Oddly specific observations:

• There is a moment near the middle where the background music just… stops. I spent three minutes waiting for it to come back, but it never did. Was it a technical error or a bold artistic choice? Who knows.
• The coat rack in the hallway appears in at least four different scenes, and each time, it looks like it’s about to tip over. I kept waiting for someone to knock it down. Nobody did.
• Annemarie Sörensen has this habit of looking directly into the camera lens when she thinks nobody is watching. It’s a bit distracting, but I kind of liked it.

The writing feels like it was scribbled on the back of a napkin during a lunch break. Scenes end abruptly, often right in the middle of a sentence, as if the director just got bored and shouted "cut!" before moving on. It’s not smooth, and it’s certainly not polished, but at least it isn't boring.

Sometimes, the movie feels like it’s trying to be a serious romance, but then S.Z. Sakall pops up and reminds you that, nope, this is just a romp. I don't think the film ever decided what it wanted to be. Maybe that’s the point? Or maybe they just ran out of film stock and had to improvise.

The lighting in the final act is inexplicably dim. You can barely see the faces of the actors, which is a shame because they seem to be working really hard to make the dialogue pop. I found myself leaning toward the screen, squinting, trying to figure out who was holding the vase.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even close. But compared to something like The Cheat, it feels like a weird, lighthearted daydream. If you find yourself on a rainy Tuesday with nothing to do, give it a whirl. Just don’t expect it to change your life. 🎞️