The sly melodies of composer Kurt Weill and the daring of dramatist Bertolt Brecht come together on-screen under the direction of German auteur G. W. Pabst ( Pandora's Box) in this classic adaptation of the Weimar-era theatrical sensation. Set in the impoverished back alleys of Victorian London, The Threepenny Opera follows underworld antihero Mackie Messer (a.k.a. Mack the Knife) as he tries to woo Polly Peachum and elude the authorities. With its palpable evocation of corruption and dread, set to Weill's irresistible score, The Threepenny Opera remains a benchmark of early sound cinema. It is presented here in both its celebrated German and rare French versions. In the early years of the sound era, film producers ofrten made films in different language versions, using the same sets but different casts for each version. The practice died out in the mid-1930s, but the few films which survive in both versions offer fascinating material for comparison. Pabst's twin versions of The Threepenny Opera shot in German and French are included on this double disc release - Die Dreigroschenoper (105 mins) and L'Opera De Quat'Sous (98 mins) - and make for absorbing viewing.