Die Straße

The influence of German cinematography on the formation of the noir film was enormous, although occasionally, in scholarly discussions, it overshadows other key factors. Most notably, inspiration from German Expressionism is often exaggerated. Conversely, the effect of other cycles and tendencies is diminished. One of the overlooked directions is the so-called street film (Strassenfilm), which, during the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), became a concise expression of modernism and urbanization. Karl Grune´s film addresses the dangerous seductiveness of the big city, and in the film, we can identify a number of visual and narrative motifs that were absorbed by film noir twenty years later: the hero who hastily gives in to temptation; the femme fatale; high-contrast lighting; and mise-en-scène reflecting the subjective states of the characters. (Noir Film Festival)