Anna Christie (Blu-ray)

When it was learned that Greta Garbo, was cast as a disillusioned prostitute in Anna Christie, even her most devoted admirers were skeptical. Not only was it an unglamourous role for the 24-year-old actress, but it was also to be her first talking picture. Garbo's answer was to play it with superbly. With her first, and now famous spoken line ("Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy baby") Garbo conquered the world of sound films.. Based on Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Garbo give a fascinating performance as an embittered prostitute who returns home to her father, a barge captain. She finds sympathy in the gruff, but kindly Marthy (Marie Dressler), but when a sailor (Charles Bickford) falls in love with Anna, she is forced to reveal her tarnished past to both him and her father, leading to a riveting climax. Among the Special Features on this disc is the German-language version of the scenario, starring Garbo with a different cast and director. Filmed on the same sets after the original English version was completed, this alternate version is a uniquely different take of the source material, one which Garbo allegedly preferred to the more-widely-known English language version.

• drama