Melodie des Herzens (1929)

The young Hungarian hussar János, descended from poor peasant folk, is saving up for a horse with which he hopes one day to achieve modest prosperity. He wants to leave the military, start a small carting business with the horse, and soon get married, perhaps starting a family as well. One day, he meets Julia Balog, a shy, sixteen-year-old peasant girl, and is instantly smitten. The two quickly fall in love. Julia works as a maid in the big city and, out of love, is willing to give János her meager earnings of just 20 pengő to buy a horse. It is an investment in their future together. But their young, fragile happiness is soon put to a severe test. Julia loses her job because she was late returning from a visit to János. From then on, she lives only on her savings and eventually falls into the clutches of a brothel madam, her landlady, Miss Czibulka, who drives her into prostitution. Despite this social downfall, the girl keeps her pure heart and her love for János. One day, through his fellow soldiers, János ends up in the brothel where Julia works and can hardly believe his eyes. Deeply disappointed, he blows the money he has left, while Julia uses her recently earned money to buy an inexpensive horse. Then, intending to kill herself, she throws herself into the Danube. The horse remains on the riverbank. A farewell letter hangs from its neck, in which Julia explains everything to János and gives him the horse.