MovieChat Forums > Die freudlose Gasse (1927) Discussion > 61-minute version: sacrilege, yet still ...

61-minute version: sacrilege, yet still not an entire waste of time


I am incensed that the version that reached me through the mail is the utterly butchered 61-minute version, in which anything not connected with the "Greta" story arc, is cut. I hope to find a way to see the full version before I leave for that Great Theatre in the Sky.

Yet, I don't view that hour as a wasted hour - if only for the fact that it is rather interesting to see an actress, not viewed as a 'glamour goddess' yet in 1925, command the screen in such a powerful way. That is despite the fact that she portrays a demure, timid (but ultimately honest) character... or maybe it is because of that. Or maybe Garbo's natural charisma adds that extra oomph to the performance. Whatever the case, Die freudlose Gasse is worth a watch in whatever format is available, for different reasons. And as others have mentioned, the expressionist atmosphere under Pabst's directing sets a benchmark that is hardly attainable in today's times.

I hope to return to these pages in the near distant future, having seen the full version.

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