उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

It's a good film all around, but it's most notable for finding yet another remarkable silent beauty queen, Betty Amann, who could perhaps have been a huge star if the era had continued. With her jet-black bob-cut, she'll remind many of Louise Brooks, but, aside from a similar hairdo, she's not much like Brooks. The story concerns a cop (Metropolis' Gustav Froehlich) who picks up Amann for stealing a diamond from a jewelry store. She tries to seduce him so he'll let her go, but he's so morally upright she basically has to jump on top of him to get what she wants. Froehlich walks away from the situation bewildered, but also kind of in love with her. She, too, develops feelings for the poor little innocent, but odds are against them. Especially when her gangster boyfriend shows back up. I wouldn't quite group this among the silent masterpieces, but it's a fine film. And Amann really is wonderful (she would go on to co-star in Hitchcock's The Rich and the Strange, and she also pops up in Nancy Drew... Reporter). I think it might be a bit better known if not for the lousy title. "Asphalt" only really refers to Froehlich's job as a traffic cop, but I don't see what else it has to do with the film.

In Berlin, the dedicated traffic officer Albert Holk (Gustav Fröhlich) is a young man that lives with his parents. When the elegant and charming Else Kramer (Betty Amann) shoplifts a diamond in the Bergen Jewelry, the officer arrests her despite the request of the owner to release the youngster after retrieving the stone. They take a cab to the police station and Else first cries and then she unsuccessfully tries to seduce the uncorrupted officer. When they are in front of the precinct, Else asks Albert to go to her house first to get her documents. The reluctant officer finally accepts her request to go to her apartment and once there, she seduces him. On the next day, Albert feels guilty for failing on his duty. Else decides to return his documents that she had stolen in the previous night with a box of cigars. When the carrier delivers the envelope to Albert, he goes to Else's apartment offended with the bribe. But sooner he succumbs to the gorgeous lady and proposes her. Else questions the future of a policeman with a thief and shows that she stole the diamond for greed and not for need. Meanwhile, Else's lover Konsul Langen (Hans Adalbert Schlettow) returns from Paris where he had heisted the safe of a bank and finds Albert and Else together in her apartment. When Konsul pushes Else on the floor, Albert defends her and himself and their fight lead to a tragic conclusion.

"Asphalt" is a dramatic German silent film and an early film-noir. The gorgeous dark-haired Betty Amann is one of the most expressive actresses I have ever seen, and her eyes are amazing in the close-ups. The sequence in the taxi with the tears in her eyes is fantastic. Her performance is remarkable and her character certainly is one of the first femme fatales of the cinema history. The dilemma of Albert Holk, shared between his duty and the seductive woman, is one of the best moments of this film. This film registers the streets of Berlin in the late 20's with a great traffic of buses and automobiles and crowded streets. The music score of this highly recommended DVD is also awesome. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Asfalto" ("Asphalt")

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.

Outstanding German silent era crime drama; an early film noir about a young traffic officer who gets involved with a femme fatale he has just arrested for stealing a diamond from a jeweler's shop. This spit-curled, dark-haired beauty attempts to use tears, tricks, Cognac, a pillow-laden couch proportioned like a king-sized bed, and finally a black-laced bodysuit/nightie to seduce our officer into letting her off. These two soon become emotionally involved with each other, but the officer is feeling guilt over shirking his duty to arrest her.

The photography in this film is really excellent - the film as a whole is very visual, with lots of facial close-ups, softly filtered lighting along with shadowy rooms and hallways, and an interesting montage at the beginning of the asphalt streets of Berlin and it's fast moving crowds of people and traffic, all shown with interesting overlapped and angled photography. The actors all give excellent, emotional performances. The actress, Betty Amann, who portrays the thief is especially good here, seducing both our officer and the viewer with just her eyes, showing a great range of emotion in close-up. The print on the DVD of this looks good, the orchestral score is really great and suits this to a tea. I have seen many, many silent films and I would certainly count this one among the best I've seen.

Joe May's "Asphalt" is not as well remembered as the other masterpieces of German silent expressionist cinema, possibly due to the lack of immortals in the cast and its decidedly commercial scenario. But it certainly deserves a mention alongside the great works of Lang, Pabst, Murnau, et al. The cop-seduced-by-the-sexy-crook plot is the prototype for many a great (and not-so-great) film noir to come, and the seduction scene certainly packs a punch. Like most films of the time, it eventually descends into melodrama, but Gunther Rittau's remarkably mobile and probing camera is so skillful in revealing the characters' thoughts and lending pathos to their plight that he and the director transcend the clichés in the manner of Stahl and Ophuls, with some Langian irony peeking through at times. The opening profile of the city is a justly famed visual tour-de-force, but the stark, expressionist compositions that highlight the climax are just as striking and iconic. May never made the big time in Hollywood, but spun a few good programmers for the B picture mill.

UFA helmer Joe May, once spoken of in tandem with F W Murnau or Fritz Lang, ended his career struggling for gigs on B-list Hollywood fodder. But this late silent, a superb psychological meller lovingly restored with a fine new score on KINO DVD, shows him in top form. It's the old story of a naive cop corrupted by a shady lady. He bends the rules for a night of love. But when her rich lover returns, tragedy strikes, and his disgrace can only be erased through her redemption. Thrillingly designed & shot in a studio-created Berlin, May uses the camera with Murnau-like freedom & expressivity, only stumbling over the pacing of a few scenes he has trouble ending. Gustav Frohlich will always be stamped by his silly perf in Lang's METROPOLIS, but in this more naturalistic mode, he's touching & handsome. As the femme fatale, Betty Amann leaves an odd taste. She's an obvious precursor/model for Liza Minnelli's Sally Bowles in CABARET (had Bob Fosse seen this film?), but she's also a dead ringer for Tony Curtis in his drag mode in Billy Wilder's SOME LIKE IT HOT. Perhaps not as much of a stretch as it sounds since Wilder was @ UFA in '29 and even wrote May's first Hollywood pic. (05/13/07)

Some films of the silent era are timeless, essential classics, while for one reason or another some just don't make as much of an impression. I don't dislike 'Asphalt,' but count this among those pictures that just don't really stand out for me. The cast is suitable, and at times has moments showing a spark of keenly felt emotive acting. The direction is fine, and director Joe May at points illustrates some sharp shot composition. The costume design, and hair and makeup work, are quite good. Whether one wishes to commend cinematographer Günther Rittau or preservationists, even more than 90 years later the film remains crisp and vivid; there's no doubt that the hands that made this were very experienced.

If my words seem noncommittal, however, consider that a reflection of how the feature is less than grabbing. It's well made, surely. Yet above all else, the writing is wholly unexceptional. Whether one is considering the characters, the scene writing, the dialogue as imparted through intertitles, or the story at large, I find praise difficult. The words that most readily come to mind to describe 'Asphalt' are common, hackneyed, humdrum, and unimaginative - or perhaps even stale. These are themes and ideas that we've seen before and since. None of this makes the movie a bad one - but it's unremarkable, and there's no especial reason to seek out this rendition. Then again, the course of events at times feels so forced and unnatural as to be simply unconvincing.

It's not entirely without value, and in the very least the film holds a small place in cinema history as a surviving silent picture. Yet it's not until the final third of the length, as the drama reaches its pinnacle, that the best worth of 'Asphalt' seems to meaningfully manifest, and it's still just not enough to particularly elevate the experience as a whole. There are far worse films one could watch, sure - though there are also many better ones, so what need is there to spend time with this one?

Passable. Not specifically satisfying. Moving on.

Taking on a simple and stereotypical plot "Asphalt" brings on melodrama through an Expressionist lens. A striking femme fatale takes on the profession of thievery using her charms and wiles. When the law catches up her feminine flair for seduction saves her temporarily as tragedy inevitably follows. Fine acting and directing make this vintage timepiece worth the watch and of course, Betty Amann. Her doe-eyed, porcelain complexion and mannequin-like features are among the most memorably attractive in cinema history. And the glimpse into the Jazz Age with the fashion, automobiles and its distinct and unique vibe is a world of charm in itself. The pedestrian plot and the film's inability to transcend it make this quite the dull and tedious slog despite its watchability and the touchingly moving ending. An interesting relic from one of the most fascinating eras in world history this aesthetic in black and white still holds up.

The first time that this German count watched Herr Joe May's "Asphalt" was during a mad Berliner soirée; the film was a wonderful and astonishing revelation, a great film due to its modernity and impeccable technical results. At the time the name of the director was written down in the decadent silent agenda as a director who would someday become famous and indeed Herr May has passed into the film history books with such superb films as "Das Indische Grabmal" (1921) and "Heimkehr" (1928).

From the very start of the film, even with the credits, Herr May's skill is established. He shows the fascinating big city and the main characters of the oeuvre ( a stylish crook, "desperate and in need", and a dutiful constable ) and skilfully uses crane shots around the streets ( MEIN GOTT!!... what an incredible and evocative atmosphere) emphasizing from that time on, the dramatic, sensual aspects of the film at once without the need of additional explanations.

As happens in many Weimar silent films, social aspects ripple beneath the surface of the story ( which concerns an unscrupulous woman and her questionable life and her obscure pimp with international interests all of which escape the innocent policeman hero ). May notes the different social classes that separate Dame Elsa ( Betty Amann ) and Herr Albert Hols ( Herr Gustav Fröhlich ), elegant and decadent for Dame Else and proletarian and common for Herr Albert ( the contrast between Dame Elsa's decadent life and Herr Albert's proletarian family are carefully depicted.) These backgrounds obviously influence their conduct and "principles", not to mention the way they both face life. Their different worlds t finally will collide hopelessly but beneath it all they are, in the end, just two lonely people ( and that's one of the most important aspect of the story ), who want to connect with each other in spite of their social and even sexual inner conflicts. Duty and law will collide with human need but redemption is also part of the mix after a painful struggle.

"Asphalt" is outstanding for its superb direction and modernity, not to mention the gorgeous and stylish Dame Betty Amann, the unquestionable and sensual star of the film thanks to the superb and wonderful Herr Günther Rittau cinematography.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must order one of his Teutonic heiresses to asphalt the Schloss pavement but in one of her most gorgeous costumes.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

From its elaborate and stylish opening scenes, Asphalt immediately establishes itself as a startling achievement. This unforgettable film is in many ways the perfect summation of German film-making in the silent era: a dazzling visual style, a psychological approach to its characters, and the ability to take a simple and essentially melodramatic story and turn it into something more complex and inherently cinematic. Although influenced by such classics as The Last Laugh and Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, Asphalt is a unique look at urban life and a classic in its own right.

The plot in Asphalt is very simple: a woman caught trying to shoplift a diamond seduces the cop entrusted with bringing her to justice and the cop pays an very high cost for his lapse in judgment, but great films don't require elaborate plots to achieve their greatness. Betty Amann, the female lead who looks like a mash-up of Louise Brooks and Betty Boop, is sensuous and sultry but not cartoonishly so. In other words, she's no Theda Bara and thank goodness for that. Perhaps if she was a cult goddess like Brooks, Asphalt would be no different than the G.W. Pabst classic Pandora's Box. It is completely baffling why Amann never became a star. Amann is paired greatly with Gustav Fröhlich, who is remembered for his performance in Fritz Lang's classic Metropolis, you will be surprised at his range here. Emotionally naked, Fröhlich goes from anger to tenderness, and then to craven denial when faced with the consequences of a violent act.

Asphalt is directed by Joe May, a leading German filmmaker of the 1910s and 1920s who is also known for the two-part epic The Indian Tomb. In addition, he helped to launch the career of Fritz Lang. Like Lang, May later relocated to Hollywood, where he directed several classic B-films, most notably The Invisible Man Returns. But Asphalt remains perhaps his most famous, and his greatest, work. However, May's handling of individual scenes is impressive. Reality is put in its place when location shots of the city are followed by a breathtaking Expressionist caricature of what we've just been shown, with the camera craning and tracking through throngs of extras and fleets of vehicles on UFA's enormous street set.

As Dave Kehr from the New York Times said, "Asphalt reveals a filmmaker of astonishing technical skills and a distinctive visual style, based on a use of raked sets to create a sense of precariousness and claustrophobia." Brilliant!!!

Have had a long-term interest and appreciation of silent films, of all genres, so that was just one reason to see 'Asphalt'. There are also many masterpieces of German cinema, especially the best of Fritz Lang and FW Murnau as well as very early Ernst Lubitsch. Who were/are truly wonderful and influential directors, with their best work masterpieces of their respective genres and of film in general (some being great influences on other fine directors).

It was interesting to see a German, a beautiful language by the way that may sound harsh when spoken but is actually very poetic when for example singing Schubert or reading Goethe, film not directed by either Lang or Murnau. And 'Asphalt' was one such film, directed by Joe May. Who was actually a big name pre-Lang and Murnau, with a solid career, but once those two hit their stride May became overshadowed sadly and it was a shame. Because his best work is great, as can be seen with 1929's 'Asphalt'.

'Asphalt' for starters looks absolutely amazing, one of the best-looking films of the 20s. Not just some of the dazzling photography, the most beautiful and atmospheric for any early film, any film of the genre and film overall. But also the meticulous interiors and eerie neon lihjting, not to mention sequence montage at its best. It is hauntingly scored too.

May directs superbly, who shows why it is a shame that he isn't better known now. It is pretty immaculate and especially inspired visually and at the start. The story may be cliched with all the story elements being hardly innovative, but it is elevated by its suspense, creepy atmosphere and that it has more complexity (while still being cohesive) than what sounds potentially simplistic on paper. My jaw hasn't dropped this much at an opening scene for any film in a long time.

The climax is also suitably suspenseful. The characters are all interesting psychologically. All the cast are strong, with Betty Amann being particularly beguiling, very expressive face and eyes. Gustav Frohlich brings plenty of nuance to his psychologically layered character.

Overall, excellent. 9/10

A criminal flapper seduces a cop before he can take her to his precinct; complications ensue. Except for being silent, 'Asphalt' is an entirely modern film. The cast does not overact, as so often in pictures of this era, but every single one of them is adept at showing exactly the amount of emotion needed to keep the plot going. Betty Amann is great as the dame who has second thoughts about her career in crime; Gustav Fröhlich convinces as the cop who falls for her (I liked him much better than in 'Metropolis'). Albert Steinrück and Else Heller give touching portrayals of his parents. While intertitles are kept to a minumum, every thought and everything spoken is immediately understandable. The plot moves quickly (none of the lengthiness of other German films of this era) and is suitably suspenseful, and the photography (while not excessively stylised) is excellent: Pre-war Berlin has rarely looked better than in the stark black and white of this film. Importantly, 'Asphalt' lets us glimpse life in Weimar Germany in the last year when there was still hope that the country would become a stable, prosperous democracy like its western neighbours - one year on, and the Nazis would be on the rise. In sum, 'Asphalt' is an unpretentious, well-made proto-noir that offers one-and-a-half hours of excellent entertainment.

Its hard to like 'Asphalt' simply because the lead characters are so unlikeable. A policeman who is too weak to stand by his moral compass falls for a seductive jewel thief. The film consists of his attempts to refrain from her seductions, feeling low after his failures, then going back only to fail again. It is fine for half an hour or so (the first half hour is the best), but becomes tedious and quickly loses momentum. It doesn't help that these femme-fatale stories were so overdone already.

The most winning aspect of this film is the technical achievements. After a shaky Vertov-esque beginning, it quickly becomes sleek and controlled, very modern. The noir cinematography is typically excellent for the German silents of the time.

Despite these virtues however, it is not a story that moves you in any way, except to strong dislike of the characters.

This German film from 1929 is one of the few silent films someone should watch and for a variety of reasons. First the lead actress is so mesmerizing to watch and the focus of the film, second the city scapes on film are beautiful, and third this is groundbreaking with its romantic content which is very sensual for the time. The story of love and manipulation is great and the jazz/orchestral soundtrack is excellent and gives the film a wonderful more artistic vibe that makes it feel like the film is supporting the concert!

Joe May's ASPHALT has been impossible to see in America until Kino released it as part of their ongoing series of German silent cinema. Their edition is a Region 1 copy of this Eureka release which came out in 2005. Joe May (pronounced MY) was once a very important man in the German cinema of the 1920's. He had his own production company which made THE INDIAN TOMB a film which helped to launch the careers of Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou.

They quickly eclipsed him with such films as DR MABUSE, DIE NIBELUNGEN, and METROPOLIS. Forced to flee Germany when Hitler came to power (like Lang but not von Harbou) he never attained a career in Hollywood the way Lang did although his 1940 film of Nathaniel Hawthorne's HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES with Vincent Price is quite good. Which brings us back to ASPHALT.

Although extremely well made entirely in a studio and full of first rate black and white photography and crisp editing, the story of a lady thief and the policeman who becomes involved with her is ultimately disappointing as there is really nothing that exciting here especially if you compare it with G. W. Pabst's PANDORA'S BOX which was made at the same time. Clara Bow lookalike Betty Amann does a good job but she's no Louise Brooks and her part calls for charisma. It's nice to see Gustav Frohlich in something other than METROPOLIS and he acquits himself well in a more restrained performance.

I'm glad to have finally seen ASPHALT after having read about it but it won't be a film that I'll be revisiting often like PANDORA'S BOX or DIARY OF A LOST GIRL which are better examples of what was being done on the dramatic front in Germany at the time. It's probably no accident that Joe May was not able to make a name for himself in America where there was so much more competition...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.