Despite the rather average reviews, I couldn't resist at the chance of seeing a young Michel Simon, and for that the film is worth it. He's almost a caricature, but he's certainly the most interesting character of all. Meanwhile our protagonist is a bored rich young men. He'll discover his place on earth, but the actor stays bored. No life.
Now that mean one good thing for people who hate melodramatic excess in silent films, this one sure doesn't. It feels... neutral. Now I'm not making a joke on the fact that the film is from Switzerland, it's simply that, because the film is somehow quite natural, things just goes by, tension builds up very slowly and do explode at a moment, but you're just contemplating. Maybe it's because the settings are beautifully filmed, it's a very great boat movie to look for, the picture is very pure and white, good looking boats on pretty water with pretty lands here and there. You get absorbed. But somehow, what ever happen to the characters, you don't care much.
Though no masterpiece because of it simplicity, it gain from it the fact that it is enjoyable enough to say "worth a look".
