Asphalt (1929)

Else, played by Betty Amann, becomes the tragic hero of Asphalt as her character transcends her unhappy criminal life to redeem herself in an unfolding confession of true love... See full synopsis »

Director:

Joe May

Writers:

Joe May (screenplay), Hans Székely (screenplay),

Stars:

Albert Steinrück, Else Heller, Gustav Fröhlich

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Albert Steinrück	...	Hauptwachtmeister Holk
Else Heller	...	Frau Holk
Gustav Fröhlich	...	Wachtmeister Albert Holk
Betty Amann	...	Else Kramer
Hans Adalbert Schlettow	...	Konsul Langen
Hans Albers	...	Ein Dieb
Arthur Duarte
Paul Hörbiger	...	Ein Dieb
Trude Lieske
Karl Platen
Rosa Valetti	...	Frau an der Theke
Hermann Vallentin
Kurt Vespermann	...	(as Curt Vesperman)

Storyline

Else, played by Betty Amann, becomes the tragic hero of Asphalt as her character transcends her unhappy criminal life to redeem herself in an unfolding confession of true love... See full synopsis »

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Plot Keywords:

police officer | femme fatale | urban setting | surrealism | street life | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

3 May 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asfalto

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universum Film (UFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 94 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

ASPHALT (Joe May, 1929) ***

I wasn't familiar with the work of director Joe May - apart from THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940) and the Silent epic THE Indian TOMB (1921), a film I was disappointed by and which I always considered more of a Fritz Lang film anyway - although I had always been intrigued by this one and, now, thanks to Eureka and "Masters Of Cinema", I've managed to catch up with it.

From watching ASPHALT - followed, in short order, by SPIONE (1928) and TARTUFFE (1925) - I've reacquainted myself with the peerless craftsmanship of German cinema during the 1920s; indeed, May's film is technically quite irreproachable - particularly his depiction of city-life by night, but also the opening montage (echoing contemporaneous Russian cinema) which forms part of the title sequence. Apart from this, the film's slight but compelling plot later became a staple of the noir genre where a naïve man is embroiled in the sordid life of a femme fatale with tragic consequences (the most obvious example, ironically enough, being perhaps Fritz Lang's superlative THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW [1944]).

In this regard, the film benefits greatly from the perfect casting of the two roles but especially the captivating Betty Amann, who effortlessly exudes sexuality throughout: distracting the elderly owner of the jewel shop with her considerable charms, while casually concealing one of the precious rocks in the tip of her umbrella; seducing the young, inexperienced traffic cop by excusing herself from his presence but, when he follows her into the bedroom, finds she has slipped under the sheets and is waiting for him; when he tries to leave, she literally leaps on him and, by wrapping herself around his waist, making it practically impossible for him not to give in to her. Also notable is a brief pickpocketing scene at the beginning featuring Hans Albers; the rather violent fight between the boy and the girl's elderly associate/lover, when the latter comes back to her apartment and catches them in flagrante, in which the furniture (conveniently held by visible wires) gets literally thrown around the room; the concluding act, then, marked by a number of twists (which lead to a sort of happy ending more akin to Bresson's spiritually-infused PICKPOCKET [1959] than the hard-boiled noirs it inspired), is enormously satisfying.