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The Broken Lullaby

1932

Ernst Lubitsch

Lionel Barrymore, Nancy Carroll, Phillips Holmes, Emma Dunn ...

8.0

1,856

Drama A young French soldier in World War I is overcome with guilt whenever he kills a German soldier who, like himself, is a musically gifted conscript, each having attended the same musical conservatory in France. The fact that the incident occurred in war does not assuage his guilt. He travels to Germany to meet the man's family.

	Author	Review
United States	Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"Sublime, one of the most piercing and cinematically supple of all of Lubitsch's films. His themes transfer cleanly from the comedies, and they are developed with unusual urgency (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ben Kenigsberg Time Out	"'Purity' is the word that comes to mind: The movie is a nakedly sincere ode to the power of sympathy, and it's not to be missed."	POS
United States	Mordaunt Hall The New York Times	"[It] is further evidence of Mr. Lubitsch's genius, for, while it is tearful, its story is unfurled in a poetic fashion, with an unexcelled performance by Lionel Barrymore and fine acting by Phillips Holmes and Nancy Carroll."	POS
United States	Variety	"This is a hard and sombre theme to digest. One which will become tedious to many because of its lack of animation (...) The picture is particularly noteworthy for a superb performance by Lionel Barrymore"	NEU

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