From its elaborate and stylish opening scenes, Asphalt immediately establishes itself as a startling cinematic achievement of Weimar cinema. Gustav Frölich, best known as the young protagonist of Metropolis, stars as a strait-laced traffic cop who has the simple task of escorting a diamond thief to the police station. However, Holk’s routine assignment becomes complicated when he discovers the criminal in his custody: the exotic and beautiful Else (Betty Amann). Working alongside cinematographer Günther Rittau (The Blue Angel), director Joe May (The Indian Tomb) takes a simple melodrama and transforms it into a masterwork, with a brooding visual style, nuanced performances, and psychological complexity.

For thoughts on Asphalt, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Asphalt makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a pretty great transfer from a 2K restoration completed in 2015. As the opening text explains, when the film debuted in Berlin in 1929, the studio created several negatives differing slightly in content for worldwide distribution. No original prints of the German version survive, but the closest to it was found in Russia in 1994 which then had a missing opening sequence added to get the version on this disc. Film fans are lucky to have this viewable in any form, let alone in such fine quality.

The sumptuous black-and-white photography stands out in high definition with the natural grain intact and resolved well. The contrast holds up admirably with flicker at a reasonable level and significant damage to the print not intruding on this experience. There are the expected nicks and scratches, but nothing that is out of the norm for a film of this vintage. The transfer reveals a surprising amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The subtle facets that are revealed within the outfits and the setting are so great. Black levels are fine overall, and there are no major signs of black crush or compression artifacts. Kino Classics has treated this one with the utmost respect.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track and a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio surround sound track that both bring a lovely atmosphere to this silent feature. The film is provided with an original score composed by Karl-Ernst Sasse from 1994 that suits the material. The music is the only element at play here, and it maintains admirable fidelity with no wear and tear. Silent film fans will not have any issues with this track. Optional English subtitles are provided to complement the German intertitles.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Anthony Slide provides a knowledgeable commentary track in which he discusses the perplexing title of the film, the ambitious artistic flourishes and cinematography, the background of the creative figures, the narrative beats, and much more that brings some great context to this feature.

Final Thoughts

Asphalt is an inviting drama which delves into an array of complex character dynamics that play out with great command from the artistically ambitious Joe May. The main performances are dialed in to the perfect frequency with overacting tossed to the side in favor of something more natural and impactful. The film could potentially be fine-tuned a little further than it is, but it rarely leaves you checking your watch as it is. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray with a wonderful A/V presentation and a useful commentary track. This is a good effort for silent film fans who love a bit of longing and intrigue. Recommended

Asphalt is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.