Why was Street Scene praised for its realistic style?

The film Street Scene (1931), directed by King Vidor, was praised for its "inventively naturalistic" style. This realism was derived from its source material, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Elmer Rice, which provided a gritty and authentic portrayal of life within a New York City tenement building.12

The film’s realistic quality was further bolstered by its narrative structure, which followed the interconnected lives of various residents on a city street, and by notable performances, such as that of Sylvia Sidney. Unlike the German "street films" of the 1920s, which often relied on ingenious studio sets to depict urban life, Street Scene was recognized for its moving, naturalistic drama that captured the atmosphere of its slum setting.132