"Berlin-Alexanderplatz - Die Geschichte Franz Biberkopfs" or just "Berlin-Alexanderplatz" is a German black-and-white film from 1931 and it is among the earliest sound movies from Germany. The director here is Phil Jutzi and a duo of writers adapted the novel by Alfred Döblin for the screen here. It is probably Döblin's most known work and he was still very much alive back in the early 1930s to see this film. I wonder what he thought of it. It came out 2 years before the Nazis came into power, so this 90-minute movie has its 85th anniversary this year. The lead actor here is played by Heinrich George (father of Götz) who also starred in some of the Nazis' most infamous propaganda films in years after this one and I must say he gave a pretty good performance. Unfortunately I must say that the story never really captured my interest. It is the tale of a man who gets released from prison and who afterward tries to adapt to life and society once again, but all kinds of factors (more exterior than interior, he really tries his best) always lead him to failure again. It was not a failure completely, but also not really interesting for the most part and I did not care a whole lot for Biberkopf or the other characters. Rainer Werner Fassbinder created a much more well-known mini series in the year 1980 and my overall verdict is that I prefer this one, even if it is a whole lot longer, which makes it almost impossible to compare these two achievements. As for the 1931 version, I do not recommend the watch.

Turning now to German films, it's good to see Phil Jutzi's Berlin Alexanderplatz available on an 8/10 Criterion DVD.

Although I'd not go anywhere near so far as to say it's one of the best films of 1931 (as do some critics),it's certainly a powerful offering with Heinrich George in his element as the not-so-bright strong man who wants to go straight.

Needless to say, his milieu defeats him. You can see this turn of events coming almost as soon as the movie springs into gear and this is a big weakness that even Jutzi's vigorously on-the-spot direction cannot wholly diminish.

Nonetheless, allied with the movie's bleak, noirish photography, the movie certainly delivers a real punch.

Excellent acting from just about everyone in the support cast helps too.

First film version of the classic German novel was written by the novels author and runs 83 minutes. (The classic TV version made by Fassbender runs close to 15 hours). Its the story of a man,Franz Biberkopfs, who gets out of prison who tries to go straight but who finds that life and the people around him have other plans.

Its good but rather not very deep film about the difficulty of getting by in the world. The trouble is that seeing the film now, which is included in the recent DVD release by Criterion, we know that there is a great deal to the story which isn't being covered. Granted its not fair to compare two version made roughly 50 years apart, but at the same time you can't help but do it. The result, for me at least was I didn't love it as I should have.

Weakness in the compression of the story or not the real joy of the film are the scenes of the street life in Berlin since about half the film was shot on location. The street scenes alone make this a must see film.