Asphalt

What does the Berlin of early cinema sound like, the noises in the big city buildings of the time, the atmosphere on the streets and in the apartments? The composer and silent film pianist Eunice Martins spent more than two decades developing this tonal void (not only) at Arsenal at Potsdamer Platz in a musically nuanced and differentiated way. This month, she will play at the Klick and accompany ASPHALT (Joe May, G 1929), one of the most famous “street films” of Weimar cinema. The eponymous road surface comes steaming into the picture right at the beginning and literally grounds the urban life between high-gloss cars, horse-drawn carriages, strollers and busy people. The young constable Holk tries to manage the chaotic hustle and bustle as a dutiful street policeman, while his life falls apart under the influence of a jewel thief. Documentary street shots as well as the huge street sets that were created in a studio help to create big city scenes, in which the demi-monde clashes with the petty bourgeoisie. (mg)