Review of I Don't Want to Be a Man

"Ich möchte kein Mann sein" or "I Don't Want to Be a Man" is another 45-minute black-and-white silent film by German Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch. And even if he was only in his mid-20s when he made this one, he was already a truly experienced filmmaker. He directed this movie and wrote the script together with his longtime collaborator Hanns Kräly, who managed what Lubitsch didn't, namely won an Academy Award. But this was all much later than this film here. The quote in the title comes from the main character played by Ossi Oswalda who Lubitsch also made several films with. The story is about a girl who has enough of being treated like a girl and disguises herself as a boy. Lots of chaos and complications ensue. I have seen some of Lubitsch's early work and this one here is not that great really. The humor is basically always about The main character dressed up as a guy, but it stops being funny quickly. Other humor parts include excessive drinking and talking under the influence. It is just not that funny overall. Not a failure, but not half as good as it could have been and I do not recommend this almost 110-year-old film.