Zwischen Nacht und Morgen Review: A Gritty, Smokey Night in Berlin

Is this worth watching today? Honestly, only if you are the kind of person who enjoys dusty German dramas from the early 1930s. If you need snappy plots or high-definition explosions, you will probably hate this. It moves like molasses in a few spots, but it has a specific kind of soul that you don't see much anymore.

I sat down with this one late at night, which is probably the best way to do it. The title Zwischen Nacht und Morgen basically means "Between Night and Morning." It’s a very fitting name because every character looks like they haven't slept in three years.

The story is a bit of a cliché, even for 1931. A girl named Mary (Dorit Ina) wants to escape her dull life and her super strict dad. Her father is played by Eduard von Winterstein, and he is intense. He has this way of looking at her that makes you want to shrink into your seat.

He isn't just mean; he is just so stubbornly old-fashioned. You can feel the tension in their tiny apartment. It’s the kind of place where you can almost smell the cabbage and old wallpaper through the screen.

When Mary finally heads out into the Berlin night, the movie actually starts to wake up. The cinematography in these scenes is great. You get these shots of wet pavement and glowing signs that feel very much like a "street film."

It reminded me a bit of the atmosphere in Die Drei um Edith. There is that same sense that the city is a big, dark character trying to swallow the actors whole. The lighting in the cabaret is all smokey and hazy, which hides some of the lower budget stuff.

Then we get Oscar Homolka. He plays a guy named Anton. I don’t know what it is about Homolka, but he has a face that looks like it was carved out of granite and then left out in the rain. He doesn't even have to say much to be the most interesting person on screen.

Every time he shows up, the movie feels about 20% more real. He just has this heavy, tired presence. It’s a far cry from the more polished stuff like A Girl's Folly, which feels like a different universe entirely.

The dialogue is a bit clunky in spots, though. You can tell the filmmakers were still figuring out how to handle sound. Sometimes characters stand around and wait for the other person to finish their sentence in a way that feels very staged and awkward.

But then there are these moments of total silence. Like when Mary is just sitting in her room, staring at nothing. It goes on for a long time. Some people might find it boring, but I liked it because it felt like the movie was letting her breathe for a second.

I kept thinking about Chantage while watching this. Both movies deal with people caught in situations they can't really control. But this one feels a bit more grounded in the actual dirt of the city streets.

There is a scene in a hallway that feels like it takes a week to finish. I think the editor might have stepped out for a coffee during that part. It’s distractingly long and doesn't really add much, but that’s just how these old movies are sometimes.

I also noticed a weird thing with the audio. There are these pops and hisses that actually kind of add to the vibe. It makes it feel like you’re watching something secret that was pulled out of a basement. If you're looking for a clean experience, this isn't it.

Is it better than The Squaw Man from the same year? I’d say yes. Mostly because it feels less like a recorded stage play and more like a real place with real problems.

The ending is... well, it’s an ending. It doesn't feel as earned as I wanted it to be. It kind of just happens, and then the credits roll. It’s a bit abrupt, like the movie just ran out of film.

Rolf von Goth is fine as the lead, but he’s a bit too "pretty" for the world the movie builds. He doesn't quite fit in with the grime. He looks like he belongs in a much nicer movie.

Random Notes:

• The way the light hits the beer glasses in the bar scene is actually beautiful.
• Bernhard Goetzke has a tiny role but he is great as always.
• There is a dog in one scene that looks very confused to be there.
• The costumes are surprisingly detailed, especially Mary's dresses.
• The father’s hat is definitely way too small for his head.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it has soul. It’s the kind of movie you watch at 2 AM when you can’t sleep and you want to feel someone else’s gloom for a while. It’s messy and imperfect, but it feels human.

If you can handle the grain and the slow parts, give it a go. It’s a moody little time capsule of a Berlin that doesn't exist anymore.