Die Rothausgasse (1928) review: A gritty and sad look at the cycle of poverty

If you have a spare evening and don't mind feeling a bit depressed, this is a solid choice. It's for people who like those old, dusty dramas that feel like they were filmed in a basement. If you want something light like One Glorious Day, you're probably gonna hate this one.

The movie starts in this place called Rothausgasse. It's not the kind of street you'd want to live on.

Milada is 17 and she’s basically spent her whole life watching her mom, Katherina, work as a prostitute. It’s pretty bleak.

Marija Leiko plays the mom and she looks exhausted. Like, the kind of tired that sleep won't fix.

There is this one scene where she is lying in bed and the light hits the cracks in the wall. It makes the whole room feel like it's falling apart along with her.

She makes Milada promise to get out. To not end up like her.

It's a heavy burden for a kid. Especially when the only world you know is a brothel.

The movie doesn't spend a lot of time on the 'customers' which I actually liked. It focuses more on the women and the drudgery of the whole thing.

Milada ends up working as a chambermaid for a woman named Mrs. Goldscheider. She runs a 'salon' which is just a fancy name for another brothel, really.

It's supposed to be 'better' than where she came from. But the air still feels the same.

Oscar Homolka shows up and he’s always got that face that looks like he’s about to say something mean. He’s great.

Some of the scenes in the salon go on a bit long. You see a lot of people just standing around and smoking.

I kept waiting for something big to happen. But the movie is more about the slow crawl of trying to change your life.

It reminds me a bit of the mood in The Eye of God, though that one is a totally different vibe. This one feels more grounded in the dirt.

There’s a part where Milada is cleaning and she just stops and stares at a window. It’s not even a particularly beautiful shot, but you feel how much she wants to be on the other side of the glass.

The acting is mostly good, though some of the supporting cast does that big 'silent movie' arm waving. You know the kind.

But Milada stays pretty quiet. It makes her feel more like a real person.

The writing by Franz Schulz and Else Jerusalem is actually quite smart. They don't try to make the brothel look glamorous.

It’s just a job. A really shitty job.

I found myself getting annoyed with some of the pacing toward the middle. It feels like the movie repeats itself a few times.

We get it, the life is hard. We don't need five scenes of her looking sad near a mop.

But then something small will happen, like a look between two of the girls, and it pulls you back in.

It’s definitely better than The Mystery Man if you’re looking for actual character stuff.

There is a guy in the salon, played by Hans Brausewetter, who has this really weird hat. I couldn't stop looking at it.

It’s too small for his head and it makes him look like a cartoon character in a very serious movie. It's kind of funny, actually.

The cinematography is grainy but in a way that works. It feels like you're looking at old police photos.

One reaction shot of the mother lingers so long it becomes funny. You're just waiting for her to blink.

I think the director wanted us to feel the weight of her stare. But it just felt like the camera operator forgot to stop filming.

The ending isn't what I expected. I won't spoil it, but it doesn't feel like a Hollywood movie.

It feels like something that would actually happen in 1928 Berlin.

I noticed the costumes are a bit hit or miss. Some look authentic and others look like they were pulled from a theater closet.

But the faces are what matters. The camera really loves those tired, old faces.

It’s a bit like La gibigianna in how it handles the drama, but maybe less polished.

The intertitles are sometimes a bit too poetic for their own good. They use words that these characters probably wouldn't say.

But it's a minor thing. The visual storytelling is strong enough that you don't really need to read much.

I think if you like history, you’ll dig it. If you’re just looking for a fun time, maybe skip it.

It’s a movie that stays with you for a day or two. Mostly because of that promise.

You wonder if she actually makes it out. Or if the street just eats everyone eventually.

One thing that bugged me was the lighting in the final act. It gets really dark and you can barely see who is talking.

Maybe my copy of the film was just bad. Or maybe they ran out of lights that day.

Either way, it’s a raw piece of filmmaking.

It’s much more interesting than The Green Archer, even if it’s slower.

Go watch it if you want to see Oscar Homolka before he got famous. He’s already got that intensity. 🎬