Joyless Street

The picture has minor virtues and major defects.

It later came as a major revelation, both when compared with Pabst's later work and in the context of the development of a film narrative able to accommodate a large number of characters.

Despite Garbo, it's heavy going -- an official classic that hasn't quite earned the title.

As the film cuts between scenes of wretched poverty and luxurious excess, Pabst's imagery and Garbo's magnetic presence more than make up for a rather weak drama.