Budapest Classic Film Marathon 2025: The Street

Director: Karl Grune

Screenplay by Karl Grune, Julius Urgiß
Director of photography: Karl Hasselmann
Cast: Anton Edthofer, Aud Egede-Nissen, Leonhard Haskel

Open Archives / Archive Treasures  

Introduction: Attila Vörös, film scanner operator, projectionist, NFI – Film Archive

The story playing out over a single night is a gem of German silent film, although one that is rarely screened. Its director, Karl Grune, barely resorts to explanatory intertitles. Instead, he tells the tale of the middle class man seeking bohemian adventure and a way out of dull marriage almost entirely through astonishingly expressive pictures and the film’s rhythm. What starts out as a lark eventually turns into a nightmare, with oppressive visions, despair and looming danger lurking in the metropolitan shadows. We embark on a journey filled with innovative solutions to enjoy one of the most characteristic works of the ‘street movies’ so typical of the period. The expressionist influence is apparent and it precedes the arrival of films noir.

Munich Filmmuseum (Filmmuseum München)

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