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The Joyless Street (1925)
The Joyless Street (1925) poster

The Joyless Street (1925)

Die freudlose Gasse

Drama • 2h 28m

Director: G.W. Pabst

Cast: Werner Krauss, Jaro Fürth, Greta Garbo, Asta Nielsen, Agnes Esterhazy, Karl Etlinger, Henry Stuart, Einar Hanson, Ilka Grüning, Gregori Chmara, Robert Garrison, Alexander Murski, Valeska Gert, Hertha von Walther, Otto Reinwald, Sylvia Torff, Loni Nest, Mario Cusmich

Best English-friendly & video release

Video notes:

Germany Filmmuseum PAL DVD https://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p81_Die-freudlose-Gasse.html

Germany Filmmuseum PAL DVD https://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p81_Die-freudlose-Gasse.html has the most complete version of 151 minutes in its sixth 2020 edition of the DVD.

Although MoMA is also going to show a "2025 restoration" also from Filmmuseum so hopefully a newer home release is going to be soon.

Updated 10 months ago


About the film

In 1921, we follow two women - Marie and Grete - from the same poor Viennese neighborhood, as they try to better the lives of themselves and their families during the period of Austrian postwar hyperinflation.

Alternative Titles
The Street of Sorrow

More from G.W. Pabst

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Director: G.W. Pabst

Director: G.W. Pabst

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MoC Blu-ray

Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

MoC Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, same restoration, but better encoding. The aspect ratio is slightly difference but not sure which is the correct one. See DVDBeaver

Director: G.W. Pabst

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

More from Filmmuseum

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Director: Michael Verhoeven

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Filmmuseum DVD

Director: Max Ophüls

Best English-Friendly:

French version: Criterion Blu-ray

German version: Filmmuseum DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · cinema-scope.com (opens in a new tab) · fredcamper.com (opens in a new tab) · +1 more

Best Video:

French version: 2020 Carlotta Blu-ray

German version: Filmmuseum DVD

Video Notes:

French version: Criterion Blu-ray (Carlotta has no English subtitles)

German version: Filmmuseum DVD

Additional Info:

Carlotta Films corrects the mistakes of Criterion due to the compression on dark scenes and gives the gorgeous transfer of the restoration a better encode/compression and more bitrate.

The German cut, titled Lola Montez, is considered by Ophüls scholars such as Jonathan Rosenbaum, Dan Sallitt and Tag Gallagher to be superior to the French cut. It has only been reissued on the Filmmuseum DVD.

Director: George Nichols

Directors: Leo McCarey & Fred Guiol

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Filmmuseum Max Davidson Comedies DVD

Sources: archive.org (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

The Internet Archive seems to have the same file as the DVD

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: Robert Altman

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.

YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

UK 4K teased by 88 Films https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=24252379

Video Notes:

Carlotta France 4K Blu-ray > Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray (better encode on Carlotta without any low-pass filtering, more extras and English subtitles on Vinegar Syndrome)

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MGM Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 10 months ago

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