Parking Where We Want: A Strange, Quiet Trip

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies where absolutely nothing happens but you still feel like you've been on a long walk, maybe. If you need a plot that moves faster than a tired snail, skip this one immediately.

People who appreciate the weird, observational rhythm of early cinema will dig it. Folks who need clear character arcs or a point to the story? They'll probably think it's a total slog. Honestly, I’m still figuring out how I feel about it. 🤷‍♂️

The vibe is... weirdly empty

The whole thing feels like the directors, Beyfuß and van Putten, just decided to follow people around for a day. Sometimes, a shot lingers on a street corner for so long I started looking for my own keys in my pocket. It’s got that specific, dusty texture you only find in films like Sowing the Wind.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Wir parken, wo es uns gefällt (1934) through its definitive frames.

There's this one moment where Franz Verdier just stands there looking at a fountain. It goes on for like, a minute. No music. Just the sound of water and the guy’s breathing. It felt like an eternity, but in a way that wasn't totally annoying. It was just boldly boring.

Some random notes from my notepad

• Ulla von Henning has this look on her face in the second act that says she'd rather be literally anywhere else. Same, Ulla. Same.
• The lighting in the cafe scene is a total mess. Half the actors are in shadow, the other half are blown out white. It’s charming, honestly.
• Sven Holm walks into a frame and clearly doesn't know where to put his hands. He just kind of leaves them hanging there like they’re heavy.
• Margarethe Kühnert's coat is the real star of this movie. It’s magnificent.

Watching this made me think of the visual strangeness in The Man Who Laughs, even if the tone is a million miles apart. It's not trying to be prestigious. It's just hanging out.

I caught myself zoning out around the forty-minute mark, and honestly, the movie didn't mind. It kept going anyway. That’s either great filmmaking or total laziness. I’m leaning toward great.

There’s no big climax. No dramatic confrontation. Just a realization that we’re all just taking up space, parking where we want until we can't anymore. It’s simple, it’s a bit messy, and it sticks with you way longer than those shiny, polished blockbusters that vanish from your brain the second the credits roll. 🎬