Asphalt (1929) - Joe May

One of the last in the tradition of great German silents this film seemed to take all the atmosphere of expressionism and mixed it with the classic street film, and a little avant-garde ala Berlin: Symphony of a City for good measure. The film is in that heavy style mode that mixes a rather conventional story of the Berlin underworld and jealous lovers. The film does question some of the social excuses for crime in a way that contrasts with the typical "victim" mentality of criminals. The film looks spectacular on almost all accounts and like numerous German films of this period it is much more sexual than the tamer Hollywood films many of these directors would make. May too would join Hollywood where his American "masterpiece" would be The Invisible Man Returns, lets just say his best days were in Germany.