Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Ich möchte kein Mann sein Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 24, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of Lubitsch in Berlin 1918-1921.

Ernst Lubitsch’s vaunted “touch” made him something of a rarity in Golden Age Hollywood, namely a star director in a town which more typically tended to be all about "real" stars (as in the kind up there on the silver screen). But what’s interesting about Lubitsch’s Hollywood career is that while it lasted decades and offered scores of films, when you get right down to it, the so-called “Lubitsch touch” might be best remembered for only a veritable handful of outings like Trouble in Paradise, Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner and To Be or Not to Be. Now, it perhaps goes without saying that with a handful like that, who really cares if not all of Lubitsch’s films have managed to penetrate into the public consciousness, but for devoted cineastes with a taste in World Cinema, and in this case World Silent Cinema, this aggregation of six silents Lubitsch made when he was still in Germany may be a bit revelatory, both in terms of subject matter but also in terms of what would soon enough become known as the “Lubitsch touch”.

An ebullient Ossi Oswalda stars in Ich möchte kein Mann sein (typically translated as I Don’t Want to be a Man, though the film's subtitle translation offers I Wouldn't Like to Be a Man), a rather ironic title given the fact that Ossi does in fact want to see what being a man might be like, given the strictures put upon women in that era, as summed up by Ossi’s caretakers, a guardian “uncle” and a governess (both of whom don't minding bending various rules a bit, at least when Ossi's not around to see them). If the film ultimately gives into what might be termed “gender conformity”, a lot of the rest of it is not so subtly anarchic, and much of the comedy is surprisingly contemporary feeling. You can already sense Lubitsch skewering “group think” in way that may foreshadow some of his later works, and Oswalda is just a delight in a deliberately exaggerated performance.

Ich möchte kein Mann sein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Eureka Entertainment provided check discs for the purposes of this review.

Ich möchte kein Mann sein is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment's Masters of Cinema imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. Unlike some of the other presentations in this set, there's no introductory text offering information on the provenance of the element or any restoration which may have been undertaken. Like all of the presentations in this set, though, Ich möchte kein Mann sein shows pretty significant age related wear and tear throughout the presentation, with numerous scratches and nicks and noticeable other blemishes showing up with fair regularity. There's considerable flicker on display, as well as some recurrent crush which is perhaps exacerbated at times with some wonky contrast (other moments can show kind of blown on whites, on the opposite end of the "contrast" spectrum). All of this said, this is certainly watchable and in the better looking moments offers very good detail levels.

Ich möchte kein Mann sein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

All of the films in this set feature LPCM 2.0 renderings of original underscores. This film's score by Neil Brand sounds nicely full bodied, and I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to any distortion, dropouts or other damage.

Ich möchte kein Mann sein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While there are no supplements tied to individual films included with this set, Disc Three offers the following comprehensive documentary, which does get into at least some of the films and this general era of Lubitsch's life:

• Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin: From Schönhauser Allee to Hollywood (HD; 1:26:41) is a well done piece that includes some really sweet reminiscences from some Lubitsch relatives (including his daughter, Nicola), as well as copious footage of Lubitsch's childhood and young man haunts in Berlin. There's quite a bit of information and some appealing stills and archival video of his early work as an actor, including with Max Reinhardt, and a good overview of his early film career as a director. In both German (with English subtitles) and English, depending on the speaker.

Eureka Entertainment only provided check discs for purposes of this review, and so I can't authoritatively comment on non-disc swag, though their website mentions an insert booklet with essays.

Ich möchte kein Mann sein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's probably completely understandable when Lubitsch's daughter Nicola mentions Ich möchte kein Mann sein and Victor/Victoria in the same breath in the documentary about her father included with this set, and it's not hard to imagine that Blake Edwards may have stumbled across this film at some point and gotten a little inspiration from it. Often surprisingly modern feeling, and just as often rather amusingly wry and funny, Ich möchte kein Mann sein proves that Lubitsch was developing themes and his style long before he arrived in Hollywood. Video has some age related obstacles, but audio is fine. Recommended.