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The Joyless Street

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6.9/10 • 44

1925-03-012h 28m

Drama

Open any door in Melchior Alley, and you'll come face to face with naked misery.

In 1921, we follow two women - Marie and Grete - from the same poor Viennese neighborhood, as they try to better the lives of themselves and their families during the period of Austrian postwar hyperinflation.

Directors
G.W. Pabst
Editors
Mark Sorkin

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Werner Krauss

    Werner Krauss

    Josef Geiringer

  2. Jaro Fürth

    Jaro Fürth

    Hofrat Rumfort

  3. Greta Garbo

    Greta Garbo

    Greta Rumfort

  4. Asta Nielsen

    Asta Nielsen

    Maria Lechner (Mizzi)

  5. Agnes Esterhazy

    Agnes Esterhazy

    Regine

  6. Karl Etlinger

    Karl Etlinger

    Generaldirektor Rosenow

  7. Henry Stuart

    Henry Stuart

  8. Einar Hanson

    Einar Hanson

  9. Ilka Grüning

    Ilka Grüning

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 6, 2022

7/10

This is quite a complex and telling tale of a poverty-stricken family struggling to survive in a post Great war Vienna at the star of the 1920s. The extent of their deprivation almost drives Greta Garbo ("Greta") to sell herself to put food on the table, it certainly drives her to petty crime. To be honest this rather drab and gritty story from the pen of Hugo Bettauer (who also wrote the superb "City Without Jews" (1938)) is, in itself, nothing particular to write home about - It's the excellent, earthy and well crafted performances from the sisters "Marie" (Asta Nielsen) and Garbo alongside that of their really quite greedy father "Hofrat Rumport" (Jaro Fürth) and the truly odious people peddler "Metzger" (Werner Krauss) that penetrate deeply. We see a side of a city usually presented accompanied by divine Strauss waltzes with grand costumes and the palaces shown in a completely different light. The direction from Georg Pabst is effective at, though in no great hurry to, immersing us in the true ghastliness of their situations. Garbo, quite literally, shines - her eyes and her features, frequently in intensely potent close up, really breathes life into the production that though quite long, is never dull.

Media

  • The Joyless Street poster
  • The Joyless Street poster
  • The Joyless Street poster
  • The Joyless Street poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
German
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
nightclubbutchersecurities, stocks and bonds teacherpost world war iprostitutionvienna, austriasilent filmnew objectivity