'Diary of a Lost Girl' is, in my opinion, even better than 'Pandora's Box', the other Pabst-Brooks movie. The cinematography is much more advanced (the fantastic tracking shot following Thymiane upstairs after the discovery of the body), and the acting is superb (the famous raffle scene). Brooks was never better. The scenes in the reformatory are magnificent.
My one quibble is with the story arc - I was sure that it was ending twice or three times before the end, which I found disruptive. According to Maltin, the screenwriter said that only the first half of his screenplay was shot, which would certainly provide an explanation. You won't find this at Blockbuster, but seek it out! Bribe, borrow, blackmail, threaten - do whatever you have to, but see this film.
My one quibble is with the story arc - I was sure that it was ending twice or three times before the end, which I found disruptive. According to Maltin, the screenwriter said that only the first half of his screenplay was shot, which would certainly provide an explanation. You won't find this at Blockbuster, but seek it out! Bribe, borrow, blackmail, threaten - do whatever you have to, but see this film.