Joyless Street

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Joyless Street

Released Jul 5, 1927

2h 19m

Drama

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67%

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6 Reviews

60%

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250+ Ratings

In the aftermath of World War I, Vienna is undergoing a drastic deterioration in its social conditions due to an economic crisis, and the residents living in one slum struggle to survive amid greed and exploitation. Lila Leid (Tamara Geva) is murdered, and hapless Egon (Henry Stuart) is arrested for the crime. Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Rumfort (Jaro Fürth) is ruined financially, so he and his daughter, Greta (Greta Garbo), are forced to live off the money Greta earns working at a brothel.

Variety Staff

Variety

The picture has minor virtues and major defects.

Nov 12, 2007

Full Review

Time Out

It later came as a major revelation, both when compared with Pabst's later work and in the context of the development of a film narrative able to accommodate a large number of characters.

Jun 24, 2006

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Despite Garbo, it's heavy going -- an official classic that hasn't quite earned the title.

Jan 1, 2000

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Michael W. Phillips, Jr.

Goatdog's Movies

Rated: 5/5

Feb 29, 2008

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Jul 16, 2005

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Film4 Staff

Film4

As the film cuts between scenes of wretched poverty and luxurious excess, Pabst's imagery and Garbo's magnetic presence more than make up for a rather weak drama.

May 24, 2003

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Steve D

Garbo keeps it quite entertaining.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

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Audience Member

Why this was packaged in the Cult Classics collection by Mill Creek Entertainment, I do not know, but I'm glad they did because this silent film is quite a treasure to stumble upon, even though it's the very short hour long version. I found it to be a beautiful and compelling silent film with an interesting story and characters as they struggle with life in post-World War I Vienna. While I wish a longer version was more widely available, it should say something about a film's quality when even in its shortest form, it's still a damn good film. If you enjoy a good silent film, you should pick up Joyless Street because it is a lost treasure waiting to be rediscovered.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

sometimes the drama is overloaded, but overall a good film

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

I saw a re-cut that follows Greta's character and it is quite much different that original uncut version. Anyway it wasn't bad. Not that much of realism to say the truth: probably this version only, cause it captures all the mannerism of Greta Garbo and there is a lot of symbolism in it. I quite enjoyed it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

Garbo's luminosity is apparent, but the film is relentlessly grim.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Ive it exist a Film that bring the 20's on a Point than it is this one Boundless Wealth Hedonism meets Poverty and Starvation a Few Group of Indivuals get rich of the Suffers of the Main Population and Greta Garbo is dazzling

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Director

Asta Nielsen

Actor

Greta Garbo

Greta Rumfort (uncredited)

Werner Krauss

Actor

Valeska Gert

Mrs. Greifer (uncredited)

Jaro Fürth

Actor

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Synopsis

In the aftermath of World War I, Vienna is undergoing a drastic deterioration in its social conditions due to an economic crisis, and the residents living in one slum struggle to survive amid greed and exploitation. Lila Leid (Tamara Geva) is murdered, and hapless Egon (Henry Stuart) is arrested for the crime. Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Rumfort (Jaro Fürth) is ruined financially, so he and his daughter, Greta (Greta Garbo), are forced to live off the money Greta earns working at a brothel.

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Screenwriter: Hugo Bettauer, F.H. Lyon
Distributor: Kino Video, Video Yesteryear
Production Co: Sofar-Film
Genre: Drama
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 5, 1927, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2017
Runtime: 2h 19m

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