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Asphalt

Released May 3, 1930 1h 30m Drama Romance List
Tomatometer 4 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A policeman catches a woman who robbed a jewelry store and, gradually, he succumbs to her charms.

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
C. Hooper Trask Variety Pommer will have to do better to keep up his reputation. Dec 24, 2019 Full Review Eric Henderson Slant Magazine A tranquil nocturne when compared to the scherzo standards of German expressionism. Rated: 3/4 Jul 16, 2006 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Even if it's no masterpiece, it has a certain pulp energy that at least rates it a minor classic. Rated: 3/4 Apr 29, 2023 Full Review Matt Bailey Not Coming to a Theater Near You An exceptional piece of entertainment with a modern sense of pacing and style. May 3, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (17) audience reviews
william d Superb silent film. The story is good, told in almost surrealistic yet still intelligible way, the cinematography and direction are excellent, and Betty Amann is gorgeous. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Outstanding film, touching melodrama. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review andrey k Wonderful and erotic ("street") film with great elaborate cinematography of a sophisticated mature silent film. Street scenes are riveting as is indoor drama. The handsome leads complement the visual beauty of the film. I won't be wrong if I suggest that the movie has obvious qualities of a noir film, I'd say it's a romantic noir: a cop, femme fatale, menacing dark scenes, a villain, and a bitter ending. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member 1 of the last German silent Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A triumph of style over story. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member A wonderful German silent movie that draws inspiration from the popular key cinematic movements of the time like German expressionism and the city symphony films. Asphalt is also perhaps the earliest most complete specimen of the film noir genre. The simple plot of the cop falling in love with a femme fatale jewel thief is turned into something special by majestic photography and daring sexual undertones that are particularly effective in the sequences in which the temptress desperately tries to seduce the right doing cop. An underrated gem that needs to be discovered again. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Asphalt

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A policeman catches a woman who robbed a jewelry store and, gradually, he succumbs to her charms.
Director
Joe May
Producer
Erich Pommer
Screenwriter
Joe May, Hans Székely, Rolf E. Vanloo
Distributor
Ufa Film Company
Production Co
Universum Film A.G.
Genre
Drama, Romance
Release Date (Theaters)
May 3, 1930, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 26, 2020
Runtime
1h 30m