Wolf Song (1929) is a loud, dusty mess that I actually liked

You should probably watch this if you like seeing Gary Cooper before he became the polished icon everyone knows. It’s great for people who enjoy those weird, early movies where they didn't quite know how to use sound yet. 🏔️

But if you hate movies where characters burst into song for no reason or if you can't stand old-fashioned melodrama, you will probably want to turn this off after ten minutes. It’s definitely not for everyone.

The movie starts with Sam Lash and his buddies. They are mountain men and they look like they haven’t seen a bar of soap in three years.

They spend a lot of time trapping beavers and just being dudes in the wilderness. It’s actually kind of funny how much they seem to enjoy being miserable in the cold.

Then Sam goes to Taos. He meets Lola, played by Lupe Velez, and everything goes sideways for him. 💃

I read somewhere that Cooper and Velez were actually dating in real life when they filmed this. You can really tell because the way they look at each other is intense and a little bit uncomfortable.

Lola is from a very rich, very proud family. Her dad looks like he wants to kill Sam just for standing in the same room as her.

There is this one scene where Sam is trying to be romantic, but he just looks like a giant, confused puppy. 🐶 It’s a very specific kind of acting that you don't see anymore.

They decide to elope. This involves a lot of fast horse riding and some very shaky camera work that made me feel a little dizzy.

Once they get married, the movie slows down a lot. Sam starts looking out the window at the mountains like a trapped animal.

He misses his friends. He misses the trapping. He probably misses the smell of wet beaver fur, which is weird, but that’s the character.

The sound in this movie is... well, it’s 1929 sound. It’s crunchy and sometimes it just cuts out or gets really loud for no reason.

There are these singing sequences that feel like they belong in a completely different movie. Sam sings a bit and it’s not exactly a chart-topper.

It reminded me a little bit of The Great Divide which also came out that year and had that same struggling-with-technology vibe. These early talkies are always such a gamble.

I noticed that the extras in the Taos scenes look like they are having way more fun than the main actors. There's a guy in the background of one shot who is just eating something and he looks genuinely thrilled to be there.

The costume design is all over the place too. Lola has these incredible dresses, and Sam is basically wearing a rug.

One thing that really stuck with me is how physical the movie is. Since the dialogue is sparse, they use their bodies a lot to show how they feel.

Lupe Velez is like a firecracker. She moves so fast the camera sometimes struggles to keep up with her. 🎇

There’s a moment near the end where Sam is torn between staying home and heading back to the Rockies. The way he touches his old gear is actually kind of sad.

It’s not a deep movie. It doesn't have a big message about life or anything like that.

It’s just a story about a guy who wants two things that can't exist together. It’s a bit like The Man on the Box in terms of that awkward social clashing, but with more dirt and snow.

The ending feels a bit rushed, like they had a train to catch. One minute he’s conflicted, and the next, it’s just... over.

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Not even close. But it has this raw energy that kept me watching even when the plot got a bit thin.

If you’re looking for a polished cinematic experience, go watch something else. If you want to see a very young Gary Cooper deal with a very angry Lupe Velez, give it a shot. 🎥

Also, watch out for the mountain men's hats. They are honestly the real stars of the first act.