I saw what appeared to be sourced from a UK reissue print of this film that only ran about an hour. I could tell, however, from what what not edited out of this print in order to emphasise the presence of Greta Garbo that it could not have been lightly that the decision was taken to distribute this film as "Joyless Street." It's relentlessly a relentlessly dispiriting tale of the poorer class being driven to misery, suffering, and humiliation at the whims of the rich. A theme like that can easily have a lot of political resonances, but "Joyless Street" prefers to take a more microcosmic tack and focus on the sorrows of one family and the events that lead to them.
It's a very well-made film; the filming, as might be expected, is highly atmospheric, and certain shots -- especially the roving camera down the line outside the butcher's -- are exquisite. It can't be said that Greta Garbo doesn't deserve the attention lavished on her by this edited print; she is absolutely magnetic. I haven't seen many with her kind of presence.
The addition of a serendipitous love story involving an American somehow doesn't cheer the film up significantly and seems a bit jarring and contrived.
It's a very well-made film; the filming, as might be expected, is highly atmospheric, and certain shots -- especially the roving camera down the line outside the butcher's -- are exquisite. It can't be said that Greta Garbo doesn't deserve the attention lavished on her by this edited print; she is absolutely magnetic. I haven't seen many with her kind of presence.
The addition of a serendipitous love story involving an American somehow doesn't cheer the film up significantly and seems a bit jarring and contrived.