Set in 1928 Germany during Weimar Republic era, the film follows a man who has just been released in prison hoping to become a decent man unaware that he is living in a world where decency is hard to find. It is a sprawling film that explore the life of Franz Biberkopf (Gunter Lamprecht) as he was a former pimp that was put into prison for killing his girlfriend Ida (Barbara Valentin) in an act of rage. Upon his release, Biberkopf re-enters society with a promise that he will become a decent person only to encounter a world that is on the brink of collapse. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay that includes his own narration that include events happening around Berlin during that year as it plays into the decline of the Weimar Republic is broken in thirteen episodes with the first episode with an 82-minute running time and the other 12 at around an hour. The script plays into Biberkopf’s willingness to become a good man and not get into trouble although he is an extremely flawed individual who is also naïve about the ways of the world as he also has a childlike demeanor in his facial expressions and drinks a lot to the point that he would descend into alcoholism numerous times.
Each episode opens with an operatic song with images of the Weimar Republic era where it plays into Biberkopf’s encounter with the new world as he has a few friends in a former lover in Eva (Hanna Schygulla) and Meck (Buchrieser Franz) as the former would often give him money and other things to help him out every once in a while, with the latter trying to help Biberkopf in getting a honest job. Biberkopf and Meck would often frequent at a bar run by Max (Claus Hom) who often observes a lot while also giving the former some advice on things. The first five episodes has Biberkopf struggling to find honest work while also beginning a relationship with a Polish woman in Lina (Elisabeth Trissenaar) as well as work with a friend of Lina’s father in Luders (Hark Bohm) in selling shoelaces where things go wrong leading to a mental breakdown for Biberkopf until he is helped by a man in Baumann (Gerhard Zwerenz) to get back on track. It is there where he would meet a businessman in Pums (Ivan Desny) who runs an illegal markets operation where Biberkopf would befriend one of his men in Reinhold (Gottfried John).
The two would go into a woman-swapping scheme to help curb Reinhold’s dependence on women where Biberkopf would engage into another relationship with another of Reinhold’s former girlfriends in Cilly (Annemarie Duringer). The happiness would be brief in the seventh episode where Biberkopf is asked to fill in for one of Pums’ men where some revelations occur and would leave Biberkopf dead and losing his right arm. Once Eva and her lover Herbert (Roger Fritz) learn what happened, Herbert decides to use his connections to bring problems to Pums though Pums eventually decides to pay for Biberkopf’s medical bills with contributions from his men minus Reinhold. After meeting Willy (Fritz Schediwy) at a cabaret club where Cilly was performing having not seen or heard about Biberkopf believing he had died from the accident. Biberkopf goes into business with Willy through dishonest means just as Eva would introduce Biberkopf to Mieze (Barbara Sukowa) who would become the love of his life.
Despite learning that she is a prostitute and going to political meetings that has him relapsing into alcoholism, he would still enjoy his time with Mieze though would get despondent over her job prompting him to go Pums for help despite reservations from people working for Pums. The script has Fassbinder often highlighting things where Biberkopf going into situations including bad ones where he would be too forgiving through those close to him are aghast over this. Even in the last two episodes where Biberkopf would go insane over a major incident leading to a two-hour epilogue as the 14th and final episode. It is an episode of its own where it is surreal in its overall presentation as it plays into Biberkopf’s own faults, naivete, refusal to see reality, and his lack of judgement towards those who are truly the worst.
Fassbinder’s direction is immense not just in its grand presentation but also in creating a world that is on the verge of collapse where it is dirty yet exciting. Shot on location at Bavaria Film Studios in Munich, Fassbinder creates a world that plays into a period as Fassbinder would also be the film’s production designer. The sets such as the apartment that Biberkopf lives in as well as the bar he often goes to are key set pieces in the film where Fassbinder’s usage of wide and medium shots cover a lot of space as there are a lot of scenes where Fassbinder shoots on a wide shot to play into Biberkopf’s disconnection with reality. There are also shots that would last longer than a few minutes in some of these wide shots where Fassbinder showcase something happening where Fassbinder would also narrate whatever a character is thinking about or an offscreen event that is happening outside of the scene.
Fassbinder would also maintain an intimacy in some of the settings where he would use some close-ups to play into some of the moments where Biberkopf would gain a semblance of happiness or engage into something hopeful. Even as it also play into moments of suspense such as a scene where Biberkopf fills in for one of Pums’ men as they make a getaway where Reinhold becomes uneasy over Biberkopf’s behavior. The direction would also have this dream-like element as it plays into Biberkopf’s own happiness that is fleeting where is unable to face reality. Yet, he would encounter it through a flashback in which he beats Ida to death as it would appear often as a reminder of him at his most inhumane. Even in a scene late in the eleventh episode where Mieze confesses to Biberkopf leading to a moment of violence that even shocks the sadistic Reinhold where he would intervene.
The film’s final two episodes plus its epilogue would be the emergence of the inhumanity that Biberkopf would be ignorant to where he succumbs to madness over a tragic event while those close to him are trying to make sense of his behavior. The film’s epilogue is where Fassbinder breaks all the rules where he create surrealistic sequences that play into Biberkopf’s troubled mind including his regrets, failures, and inability to see the dark side of humanity. Especially in set pieces where there are a lot of anachronisms in its setting and music soundtrack with a couple of angels (Margit Carstensen and Helmut Griem) commenting on what is happening with even Fassbinder himself making a cameo as an observer. The film’s ending is really about Biberkopf’s fate but also being disconnected from the world that has already fallen into total chaos where he has accepted his fate despite being in Hell on Earth. Overall, Fassbinder crafts an astonishing and visceral 14-part film about a troubled man’s attempt to become decent in an indecent world on the verge of collapse.
Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does brilliant work with the film’s 16mm photography stock with its emphasis on heightened lights for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as low-key lights for the scenes set at night with an emphasis on soft lighting in some parts of the film. Editors Julian Lorenz and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Walsch Franz pseudonym) do excellent work in the editing in maintaining straightforward cuts as well as a few jump-cuts in some of the film’s montage sequences. Costume designer Barbara Baum does amazing work with the look of the clothes the men wear as well as the stylish clothing that the women wear during those times.
The visual effects work of Theo Nischwitz is terrific for the film’s epilogue as it adds to the surreal presentation such as a boxing match between Biberkopf and Reinhold. The sound work of Hans R. Weiss, along with sound mixer Milan Bor, is superb for its natural approach to the sound in the way music is presented from a gramophone and the way a pub or a club sounds. Music by Peer Raben is incredible for its music score ranging from brass pieces as well as elements of piano-based music like the late 1920s and some low-key electronic pieces to give the film its odd presentation while its music soundtrack also features many of the music from that period plus an operatic piece that opens each episode while its epilogue would feature some anachronistic music from the likes of the Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, Donovan, Kraftwerk, Leonard Cohen, and Dean Martin.
The film’s tremendous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Udo Kier as a young cabaret club goer, Lilo Pempeit as Pums’ wife Peter Kuiper as a bald man who runs a decadent district full of prostitutes, Margit Carstensen and Helmut Griem as a couple of angels in the film’s epilogue, Karin Baal as Ida’s sister Minna whom Biberkopf meets and later rapes, Herbert Steinmetz as the newspaper seller Eddie that Biberkopf befriends, Axel Bauer as a former friend of Biberkopf in Dreske who is part of a communist group that Biberkopf dislikes, Jurgen Draeger as a Jewish sausage seller who politely asks why Biberkopf would wear the swastika, Helen Vita and Irm Herrmann as a couple of women who would date Reinhold as part of a swapping scheme with Biberkopf, Volker Spengler and Gunther Kaufmann in their respective roles as two of Pums’ men in Bruno and Theo, Gerhard Zwerenz as Baumann who would help Biberkopf recover from alcoholism, and Barbara Valentin as Biberkopf’s lover Ida whom he would kill in an act of rage and jealousy as she would often be seen in flashbacks.
Fritz Schediwy is terrific as Willy as a young criminal that Biberkopf befriends as he would align himself into some political causes that would put Biberkopf in trouble. Brigitte Mira is superb as the landlady Frau Bast whom Biberkopf is fond of as she always takes care of him. Ivan Desny and Hark Bohm are fantastic in their respective roles as the crime boss Pums and the salesman Otto Luders as two men who would give Biberkopf employment with the former being an illegal markets operator and the latter who would put Biberkopf into trouble and a mental breakdown. Elisabeth Trissenaar and Annemarie Duringer are excellent in their respective roles as two of Biberkopf’s lovers in the Polish woman Lina and the cabaret performer Cilly as these two different women who provide Biberkopf with a sense of purpose and care only for certain things to end the relationships abruptly.
Claus Holm and Roger Fritz are brilliant in their respective roles as the bar owner Max and Eva’s husband Herbert as two men who often bring advice to Biberkopf with the former being more patient while the latter has connections to help Biberkopf. Franz Buchrieser is amazing as Meck as an old longtime friend of Biberkopf who tries to help him find honest work while is a reluctant employee of Pums as he later feels regret for what happened to Biberkopf as he would also deal with a tragic event, he played a part of to his own regret. Gottfried John is incredible as Reinhold as a man Biberkopf befriends who also works for Pums as he is a man with a stutter but also a sadistic man that would take advantage of Biberkopf to the point of extreme measures. Hanna Schygulla is phenomenal as Eva as a former lover of Biberkopf who has become wealthy as she helps him whenever she can while also having some love for him where she also copes with his own views of the world and her concern for Mieze.
Barbara Sukowa is great as Mieze as a prostitute who becomes Biberkopf’s great love as she hopes to give him some hope while is also insecure thinking, she is not good enough for him where she later copes with his own activities and those he surrounds himself with. Finally, there’s Gunter Lamprecht in a spectacular performance as Franz Biberkopf as a former pimp who goes to prison for killing his girlfriend as he is released where he hopes to become a decent man. Lamprecht brings this childlike presentation as someone who is hopeful about starting a new lease on life unaware of the world he is in where he is brought down by his own naivety, lack of judgement, jealousy, and delusions about life as it is an intense performance that is also reserved at times but also dangerous once he goes into a rage as it is a career-defining performance from Lamprecht.
Berlin Alexanderplatz is a magnificent film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a tremendous leading performance from Gunter Lamprecht. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, striking visuals, study of humanity during an inhumane time, an offbeat presentation, and a whimsical music soundtrack. It is a daunting film that is challenging in not just its 902-minute running time but also in its study of a man trying to fit in at a world that is constantly changing but on the verge of collapse during a crucial period in Germany’s history. In the end, Berlin Alexanderplatz is an outstanding film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) – The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don't Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - (Lili Marleen) – Lola - Veronika Voss - Querelle
© thevoid99 2024
Episode 1: Jochen and Marion
It’s a birthday celebration for the family matriarch (Luise Ullrich) as her grandson Jochen (Gottfried John) goes out to buy more champagne for his annoying aunt Klara (Christine Oesterlein) is when he meets Marion (Hanna Schygulla) who is trying to buy pickles from a vending machine. The two immediately fall in love as Jochen introduces her to his family as she would later befriend Jochen’s sister Monika (Renate Roland) who is trying to find a friend to talk to due to her strained marriage to Harald (Kurt Raab). The episode also has Jochen dealing with problems at his job working at a factory making tools where he comes up with a plan that he hopes would help the workers only for their bonuses to be pulled. It all plays into this man falling in love and trying to do good for everyone he works including a middle-aged foreman in Kretzschmer (Victor Curland) who sympathizes with the workers.
Episode 2: Grandma and Gregor
Grandma and her new boyfriend Gregor (Werner Finck) go apartment hunting throughout the city as they discover not just the high prices for the apartments but also places with terrible locations. Upon discovering a place that they feel is suitable for them despite its expensive yet fair price, they see that a local library is shutting down as they decided to turn the place into a kindergarten for the neighborhood children to play despite being unable to get a permit to hold such a place. Yet, it would take mothers from the neighborhood, Jochen, Marion, and several of Jochen’s co-workers to help out. The episode also play into Jochen and Marion’s growing relationship as her little brother Manni (Thorsten Massinger) would attend the kindergarten along with Monika’s daughter Sylvia (Andrea Schober). Another subplot involves Franz (Wolfgang Schenck) trying to become the new full-time foreman with the support of Jochen and other co-workers.
Episode 3: Franz and Ernst
The episode revolves around Franz trying to pass a foreman exam despite the fact that he’s not very good at math and the company has already hired a new foreman from another company in Ernst (Peter Gauhe) despite a promise to Franz that he would get the job if he passed his exam. Jochen and Marion help out as does his fellow co-workers while Jochen’s best friend Manfred (Wolfgang Zerlett) gets to know Ernst as he learns more about him where a stunt to get Ernst fired backfires only for Ernst to take action to the surprise of everyone. The episode also includes a subplot in which Jochen’s father Wolf (Wolfried Lier) is unhappy at how quiet his apartment has been until Grandma comes up with an idea for him to quarrel with someone as things don’t work out.
Episode 4: Harald and Monika.
Gottfried and Marion take a huge step into their relationship though Gottfried’s first encounter with Marion’s mother (Brigitte Mira) is awkward leading to Marion’s mother being disapproving of the relationship. The two discuss the future of their relationship as they go to family and friends for advice as they both make a decision that would impact everyone. The episode also play into the disintegrating relationship between Harald and Monika as the latter turns to Gottfried, Marion, her parents, and her grandmother for help as she wants a divorce but Harald wants custody of their daughter leading to many issues. It would all culminate at a wedding party for Gottfried and Marion where a lot happens including the resolution over Marion and Harald with the unexpected help of Klara.
Episode 5: Irmgard and Rolf.
When news that a new factory is to be built at the other side of town that would force workers to be relocated making things for them including Gottfried difficult just as he and Marion bought a new apartment. It also makes things worse for Marion’s friend/co-worker Irmgard (Irm Hermann) who had just began a relationship with one of Gottfried’s co-workers in Rolf (Rudolf Waldemar Brem) as they met at Gottfried and Marion’s wedding party. Gottfried, Franz, and the other workers come up with a plan they would hope that would benefit them as they turn to the factory’s head manager Dr. Betram (Klaus Lowitsch) who reads their proposals and takes it into consideration. The episode also plays into Manfred’s longing for Monika who embarks into a relationship with a man that is trying to pull her into a scheme. Gottfried and Marion concoct a big plan as it relates to the apartment that Gottfried’s parents would own as a way to plan for their future with Rolf and Irmgard living with them as they would succeed but Marion laments over the role of working people as it relates to everything Gottfried is working for.
The TV miniseries follows the lives of the Epp family as they live in Cologne, West Germany as they deal with many social and political changes that occur in their lives. Yet, for all of the chaos and dysfunction that looms within the family is a lot of love no matter how much they annoy each other sometimes. Even as various individuals in the family would embark their own lives with Gottfried and Marion being in the center along with Gottfried’s grandmother and her boyfriend Gregor being this support system for Gottfried, Monika, and Marion. Even as Marion’s younger brother Manni and Monika’s daughter Sylvia become friends at the kindergarten that Grandma and Gregor would run. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s script play into the many schematics that would occur throughout the family as well as the people that surround them including Gottfried’s co-workers who often help out with Gottfried also helping them out as well.
Fassbinder’s direction is engaging for the way he portrays the life of a working-class family in Cologne as each episode opens with the notable locations of the city and the closing shot would be of a factory next to a canal as a canal boat would pass by. The city would be a key character in the film with Fassbinder using certain locations and such to play into this world that these characters live in as it is this world that is vibrant for many involved despite the fact that there’s also things that the working class doesn’t have. While there are some wide shots to play into some of the locations, much of Fassbinder’s direction remains intimate with its usage of close-ups and medium shots. Even in scenes where conversations occur as he would pan the camera from one area to another or to use a dolly-tracking shot to circle around a table. Yet, Fassbinder would also play into this world that is the factory that would include bits such as a wide shot of all of the men showering with glimpses of full-frontal nudity along with other quirks that add to miniseries relating to humor and drama.
Fassbinder also plays into the family dynamic as Wolf always likes to get into arguments and such with his wife Kathe (Anita Bucher) always trying to get him to calm down and make him see reason. Yet, whenever there’s a party and he’s drunk. He is this jovial and lively person that wants to dance with every woman in the party but also be extremely loving towards Kathe as it plays into a man who has a hard time dealing with reality unless he gets drunk and not worry too much. Fassbinder also play into a lot of things such as the fact that Grandma and Gregor likes to eat at a restaurant surrounded by pet birds while Gottfried and Marion often hang out at certain places they like with American and British music in the background. Fassbinder maintains this atmosphere that does feel loose but also has this element of socialist ideals in the way Gottfried, Marion, Grandma, and Gregor approach things in wanting to help people though it is about getting paid fairly for Gottfried and Marion while Grandma and Marion want to help out. The series’ ending at five episodes, instead of the original eight that Fassbinder had intended to, is about everything Gottfried and Marion had worked for but also this realization into the way the world works with Grandma and Gregor seeing a hopeful world for everyone around them. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a heartfelt and whimsical film about the life of a working class family in Cologne, West Germany.
Cinematographer Dietrich Lohmann does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key yet colorful natural lighting for some of the interiors along with the usage of available light for some exterior scenes at night. Editor Marie Anne Gerhardt does excellent work with the editing with its approach to jump-cuts as well as some straight cuts for some dramatic and humorous moments. Production designers Manfred Lutz, Kurt Raab, and costume designer Gisela Rocken do amazing work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the office that Marion works at with Irmgard as well as the factory that Jochen works at and the kindergarten that Grandma and Gregor run with Rocken creating some unique clothing of the times including some of the dresses that Marion and Monika wear.
The sound work of Gerhardt Trampert is superb for its natural approach to sound as it plays to everything that is happening as well as some unique sound effects that add to the film’s humor and drama. The music by Jean Gepoint is wonderful for its playful score with its usage of woodwinds and folk instruments as it play into this working class environment these characters live in with a soundtrack that includes various German pop tunes of the times as well as music from Janis Joplin, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Ennio Morricone, Spooky Tooth, the Drifters, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, the Rolling Stones, Paul Anka, the Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, and the Velvet Underground .
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Eva Mattes as a café waitress, Ulli Lommel as Marion’s ex-boyfriend Peter, Margit Carstensen as a woman who used to run the library that would become the kindergarten that Grandma and Gregor would run, Klaus Lowitsch as the factory manager Dr. Betram who is willing to listen to the workers for their demands knowing what good could come from it, Brigitte Mira as Marion’s mother who doesn’t approve of Gottfried at first until she gets to know him and his family, Ruth Drexel as Franz’s wife, Katrin Schaake as a landlady, Christine Oesterlein as the bourgeois aunt Klara who is a drama queen to the family, and Hans Gromball as a man Monika meets after her divorce in the fifth episode who tries to get her and Grandma into a money investment that Grandma is suspicious about. In the roles of various co-workers that Jochen works with in the factory include Victor Curland as the old foreman Kretzschmer as a man that everyone likes, Rainer Hauer as supervisor Gross, Karl Scheydt as Peter, Grigorios Karipidis as the Italian immigrant Giuseppe, Peter Gauhe as Kretzschmer’s replacement Ernst who didn’t want the job as he would help Franz in getting the job, Hans Hirschmuller as Jurgen, Herb Andress as the often cynical Rudiger who dislikes Giuseppe because he’s a foreigner, El Hedi ben Salem as another immigrant worker in Arbeiter, and Rudolf Waldemar Brem as Rolf whom Irmgard would meet at a party and fall for.
Wolfgang Schenck is terrific as Franz as a kindly man whom the workers like as they vouch for him as a foreman despite his poor math until Ernst helps him. Andrea Schober and Thorsten Massinger are superb in their respective roles as Monika/Harald’s daughter Sylvia and Marion’s younger brother Manni as two adolescent kids who befriend each other at Grandma and Gregor’s kindergarten with the latter helping the former over her issues with her dad. Wolfgang Zerlett is fantastic as Manfred as Jochen’s best friend who often pines for Monika as well as be a friend to the family. Kurt Raab is excellent as Sylvia’s father/Monika’s husband Harald as a man that is all about discipline and order as he is also cruel while Renate Roland is brilliant as Monika as a woman eager to have some freedom in her life but also some happiness in her life while finding a friend in Marion. Irm Hermann is amazing as Marion’s best friend/co-worker Irmgard as a woman who is quite cynical at times yet finds herself feeling happier upon meeting Rolf.
Anita Bucher and Wolfried Lier are incredible in their respective roles as Jochen and Monika’s parents in Kathe and Wolf with the former as this woman who is trying to keep things calm and be supportive as well as be calm towards the latter who is often frustrated with the world yet is a far kinder person when he gets drunk. Werner Finck ad Luise Ulrich are great in their respective roles as Gregor and Grandma as the former is a widower who falls for Grandma and helps out her in her ideas while the latter is this energetic slice of life who has ideas while is also full of love in the people she helps out as she is a major standout of the film. Hanna Schygulla is radiant as Marion as a young woman who works for a newspaper as she falls for Jochen while is also a woman with her own mind as she helps out Jochen’s friends and family. Finally there’s Gottfried John in a phenomenal performance as Jochen Epp as young man who works in a factory as he does what he can to help out his co-workers while also falling in love with Marion as he starts to think about a life of his own while dealing with the dysfunction within the family.
Acht Stunden sind kein Tag is a tremendous TV miniseries from Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a compelling story that explores a family dealing with many life changes, lovely visuals, and a fantastic music soundtrack. It is a TV miniseries that follows the life of a family as well as explore the ideas of a socialist world clashing with ideas of capitalism. In the end, Acht Stunden sind kein Tag is a spectacular TV miniseries from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) – The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) – Lola (1981 film) - Veronika Voss - Querelle
© thevoid99 2023
Set in early 1950s Munich, the film follows a former policeman who had returned from the French Foreign Legion years ago as he struggles with his new life working as a fruit vendor as he laments over his marriage, the disdain he gets from his family, his longing for his former lover, and the state of his own life. It is a film that is a character study of sorts that plays into a man who is likeable and was doing well as a policeman until an incident began this downward spiral as well as being rejected by the love of his life where he would marry someone else and have a child only to treat them horribly. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay follows the plight of its protagonist Hans Epp (Hans Hirschmuller) who is first seen arriving from his service for the French Foreign Legion to see his mother (Gusti Kreissl) who isn’t happy that he’s home as she laments over a friend of his who had died and thought he was a better person as it sets the tone for the many hardships, criticism, and chaos that would loom for Hans.
Notably as it shifts to a few years later where Hans is peddling fruit on a cart with his wife Irmgard (Irm Hermann) who is taller and skinnier than him as they struggle to make ends meet as they have a daughter in Renate (Andrea Schober). Still, Hans is struggling to reconnect with his former flame (Ingrid Caven) who is already married and with a life of her own while he still ponders about his own life and how underwhelming it is. Even as he returns drunk as he laments about his past and comes home beating up Irmgard who goes to his mother and sisters where Hans would have a heart attack. Irmgard would reluctantly go back to Hans and help him run his fruit merchant business by getting someone else to do the job since Hans is unable to due to his health. Yet, things become complicated with Hans lamenting once again about his own existence and what he means to the people around him.
Fassbinder’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its setting and location as it is shot in Munich while it also emphasizes a lot of characteristics similar to the American melodramas of Douglas Sirk. Notably in a scene where Hans goes to his mother’s house to apologize to Irmgard and Renate over what happened as his mother, sisters, his brother-in-law Kurt (Kurt Raab) watch where everyone but his older sister Anna (Hanna Schygulla) watch with disgust as it is the moment where Hans would have his heart attack. Much of Fassbinder’s compositions emphasize on medium shots and close-ups to play into the drama and dark humor while using the camera to play into a man dealing with isolation and resentment. There are also flashbacks that often appear in the film as it play into Hans’ life such as his time with his lover whom he is head over heels for as he has to leave her for military service while it also showcases the incident that got him fired from the police force. The latter of which is among some of the humorous moments of the film.
Also serving as the film’s music composer with arrangements from Peer Raben, Fassbinder aims for a low-key approach to the music as it is largely based on German folk music with Rocco Granata’s song Buona Notte being a key piece of music that is used as it plays into Hans’ nostalgia for a better love life and his feelings for his old lover. The film’s third act play into not just a reunion with an old friend from the Foreign Legion in Harry (Klaus Lowitsch) who would work with Hans and Irmgard as he would bring good fortune for them but Hans suddenly is filled with uncertainty over his own time as a merchant and how much he struggled. Even as it leads to this journey of him trying to find some meaning in his life as a dinner where he’s with his family as it is a discomforting moment because he’s the center of attention and he’s not comfortable with it at all where Renate thought about what her aunt Anna said in a scene during the film’s second act. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a rapturous yet chilling film about a man dealing with his own existence, life choices, and other things that has kept him down into despair.
Cinematographer Dietrich Lohmann does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes as well as using available and additional lighting for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Thea Eymesz does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward while having rhythmic cuts to play into some of the flashbacks as well as some intense moments in the drama. Art director/costume designer Kurt Raab, along with co-costume designer Uta Wilhelm, does fantastic work with the look of the apartment that Hans live with his family as well as the family apartment where Hans’ mother lives in along with the clothes where many of Hans’ family including his mother wear posh-like clothing as opposed to Hans who wears more working-class clothing.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature notable small roles from Rainer Werner Fassbinder as an old friend of Hans whom he eats with at a restaurant where Harry works at, Elga Sorbas as the woman who would get Hans fired from the police force, Michael Fengler as a playboy trying to woo Irmgard when she’s walking home, the trio of Daniel Schmid, Harry Baer, and Marian Seldowsky as a trio of applicants being interviewed by Hans, Mark Bohm as the policeman who catches Hans in a compromising act that would get Hans fired, El Hedi ben Salem as an Arab soldier in a war flashback involving Hans and Harry, Peter Chatel as a doctor who tells Irmgard about the severity of Hans’ heart attack, and Walter Sedlmayr as a fruit cart seller who sells his cart to Irmgard. Karl Scheydt is terrific as a man named Anzell whom Hans hires to sell fruit for them as he was also someone Irmgard was with during Hans’ hospitalization.
Klaus Lowitsch is superb as Harry as an old war buddy of Hans who helps out him out while also being attentive towards Renate. Heide Simon and Kurt Raab are fantastic in their respective role as Hans’ younger sister Heide and her husband Kurt as they’re both critical of him with the latter being arrogant towards since he feels like a bigger success than Hans. Andrea Schober is excellent as Renate as Hans and Irmgard’s daughter who is a young girl just trying to understand what is going on as she also thinks about what her aunt said to her about her father’s issues as it would haunt her late in the film. Ingrid Caven is brilliant as Hans’ former lover as a woman who was the love of his life until he goes to the Foreign Legion only to marry someone else as she also pines for him despite that he’s married as well. Gusti Kreissl is amazing as Hans’ mother who always treats him with disdain and disappointment until he became successful yet is often cold towards him.
Hanna Schygulla is incredible as Hans’ older sister Anna who is the only person in his family who really cared about him despite being cynical around him yet is the one person who understands his issues while also telling Renate about his own plight. Irm Hermann is remarkable as Han’s wife Irmgard who deals with her husband’s cruelty and wild mood swings as she seeks to find happiness for herself only to deal with uncertainty in her desires and doing what is right for Hans. Finally, there’s Hans Hirschmuller in a sensational performance as Hans Epp as a man who tried to do everything right only to be met with disdain, neglect, and disappointment where Hirschmuller brings in the right kind of physicality to his performance but also someone who can be cruel towards those who care about him as it is an immensely riveting performance from Hirschmuller.
Handler der vier Jahreszeiten is a phenomenal film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a great leading performance from Hans Hirschmuller. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, simplistic yet effective visuals, and its study of depression, disappointment, and self-destruction. It is a film that explore a man lamenting over what he doesn’t have and what he’s lost as well as the sense of mistreatment he has endured from those around him. In the end, Handler der vier Jahreszeiten is a sensational film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) – Lola (1981 film) - Veronika Voss - Querelle
© thevoid99 2022
Set in late 1957 in the small town of Coburg, the film revolves around a cabaret singer/prostitute who becomes the object of affection towards a new building commissioner from East Prussia as he deals with her current lover in a corrupt property developer who also owns the cabaret club she sings at. It is a film that explores a woman who is trying to maintain control of her own fate as she is having an affair with this man whom she works for while is also intrigued by this new figure who is a straight-laced, moralistic individual that wants to clean things up. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward in its narrative though it’s more of a study of people trying to be involved this power play for change in a new Germany just a few years before the Berlin Wall would be this symbol of the Cold War. The titular character is at the center of this emergence of a new West Germany as it’s been more than a decade since the war ended as she is just this cabaret singer who plays in a club while is a prostitute who gives her services to people in power including the club owner Schukert (Mario Adorf).
The arrival of building commissioner Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl) changes things as he is someone that is simple man from a different part of Germany that had its own unique history while he would live at a house where Lola’s mother (Karin Baal) would be his housekeeper unaware that she’s Lola’s mother since she refers to her daughter in her real name in Marie-Luise. Von Bohm would get Schukert’s longtime assistant/cabaret band drummer Esslin (Matthias Fuch) to be at his side where Von Bohm is aware of Schukert’s dirty tactics while he is fascinated by Lola unaware of her real job. Yet, Von Bohm would meet Lola under her real name as he sees her as this idea of purity and innocence with a young daughter whose father’s identity unknown except for her mother and other locals.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has a lot of style in its imagery as he imagines this small town as this vibrant town that is about to enter the modern age while retaining elements of the past with its desire to move away from the horrors of World War II. Shot on locations around Munich and Eichstatt in the Bavarian area of then-West Germany, Fassbinder does give the presentation a colorful vibe where there is a lot of stylish lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night while he also play into this sense of decadence that has gone on for too long with Lola being part of it. There are some wide and medium shots to get a scope at the locations including scenes at the town square with the latter playing into the look of the cabaret club that Lola performs at. There is also these moments that do play into this idea of capitalism as it is a major theme in the film where Fassbinder showcases a lot of the scheming that goes on involving Schukert and other political officials involving a major project that would get them into this modern West Germany.
There are also these close-ups that Fassbinder creates as it relates to Von Bohm’s fascination towards Lola where Fassbinder does some unique compositions that play into the world of melodrama. It is among these moments that do play into a world that is incorruptible that includes a scene inside an office where the camera moves around the table on a dolly-track as it play into Von Bohm wanting to take control as a big “fuck you” to Schukert and everyone else who is corrupt. Still, Fassbinder reveals that someone like Von Bohm with all of his ideals is someone that is disconnected with the forces he is dealing with and the fact that he’s in a world where everyone uses everyone including Lola who uses sex and her beauty to get what she wants. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a luscious yet riveting film about a cabaret singer who pits her corrupt club owner lover against an idealist building commissioner for her affections.
Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is a major highlight of the film with its candy color-like lighting schemes for some of the interiors as it helps heighten the mood and look of the film as well as aiming for a naturalistic look for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Franz Walsch pseudonym) and Juliane Lorenz do excellent work with the editing as it is stylish as it has some stylish transitions that play into some of the melodrama while also adding some ambiguity into the film with some jump-cuts that play into some of the intense moments of the film. Production designers Rolf Zehetbauer, Udo Kier, and Raul Giminez, along with art director Helmut Gassner, do amazing work with the look of the cabaret club as well as the house that Von Bohm lives in and the home where Lola and her mother lived in that also includes an American GI. Costume designer Barbara Baum does fantastic work with the costume from the stylish clothes that Lola wears from the more innocent and refined clothes she wears for Von Bohm to the lingerie and cabaret-style clothing for Schukert.
Makeup artists Anni Nobauer and Edwin Erfmann do terrific work with the look that Lola would sport in her different personas as well as the look of some of the cabaret players. The sound work of Vladimir Vizner is superb for the atmosphere of the cabaret club in the way music is presented as well as the sound effects for some of the scenes in the film including a traffic jam. The film’s music by Peer Raben is amazing for its playful cabaret style music with elements of dramatic string arrangements that play into the melodrama while its soundtrack feature an array of cabaret songs and traditional pop songs that play into that world of decadence as it is another highlight of the film.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Udo Kier as a waiter at the cabaret club, Ulrike Vigo as Lola’s daughter Marie, Nino Korda as a TV deliveryman, Herbert Steinmetz as the doorman who works at Von Bohm’s building, Harry Baer and Rainer Will as a couple of protesters who side with Von Bohm, Karsten Peters as a newspaper editor, Gunther Kaufmann as an American GI who lives at the home where Lola’s mother lives in, Christine Kaufmann as a prostitute whom the GI often sleeps with, Isolde Barth as the mayor’s wife, Y Sa Lo as a prostitute who works at the cabaret club, Karl-Heinz von Hassel as the corrupt police chief Timmerding, Elisabeth Volkmann as a prostitute/cabaret performer in Gigi, Hark Bohm as the mayor Volker who likes to go to the cabaret club and doesn’t mind taking payouts, and Rosel Zech as Schukert’s wife who either has no clue that her husband is cheating on or is indifferent as someone who enjoys the lifestyle she’s living in.
Helga Feddersen is fantastic as Von Bohm’s secretary Miss Hettich as a woman who always bring something while is an ardent supporter of Von Bohm while Ivan Desny is superb as the bank president in Wittich who is intrigued by Von Bohm but warns him about Schukert. Karin Baal is excellent as Lola’s mother as a woman who wants her daughter to find happiness where she works as a maid of sorts for Von Bohm whom she believes is a good influence for Lola. Matthias Fuchs is brilliant as Esslin as an assistant to Schukert who becomes frustrated by him where he finds some hope in Von Bohm while he also works as a drummer for Lola’s cabaret performances. Mario Adorf is amazing as Schukert as a property developer who is eager to use his pull to create a building that would put Cobert into the modern world while is also a man of corruption as he is also using his affair with Lola for personal and financial reasons.
Armin Mueller-Stahl is incredible as Von Bohm as an East Prussian building commissioner who arrives to the town wanting to clean things up as he’s intrigued by Lola in the hope he can give her a better life unaware of what she really does with her life. Finally, there’s Barbara Sukowa in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this cabaret singer/prostitute who is eager to move up for something bigger as she is torn with her affair with Schukert as well as a life outside of decadence that Von Bohm has to offer though there is a lot more that she wants as it is this radiant and exuberant performance from Sukowa.
Lola is a spectacular film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a sensational leading performance from Barbara Sukowa in the titular role. Along with its supporting cast, themes on greed and corruption, Xaver Schwarzenberger’s lush cinematography, dazzling art direction, and Peer Raben’s offbeat music score. The film is a fascinating and compelling film that presents itself as an offbeat melodrama that also play into this study of a woman wanting to get something for herself as she pits two men against each other for her affection. In the end, Lola is a tremendous film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) – Veronika Voss - Querelle
© thevoid99 2021
The film revolves around a once-famous actress during the days of Nazism as she has faded into obscurity where she meets a sports reporter as she deals with an escalating morphine addiction and delusions about returning to her film career. It is a film that is about a woman who is eager to return to the world of film but is unable to deal with reality as she also dependent on a neurologist who is feeding her morphine addiction. The film’s screenplay has a narrative that is largely straightforward but also bits of flashbacks as it play into the life that the titular character once had but also a life she wants to be part of. The film opens with her at a screening at one of her older films as she remembers the time she was filming it as she was this big star whose films were funded by the Nazis until the end of the war as she had faded into obscurity. Upon meeting the sports reporter Robert Krohn (Hilmar Thate) at a bus during a rainy night, she is surprised that he has no idea who she is or was as they become friends where Krohn learns more about her.
Yet, he is also wondering if some of the things she says are true where he learns that she frequently visits a neurologist in Dr. Marianne Katz (Annemarie Duringer) who is treating her. Still, Krohn is unsure about Dr. Katz’s methods including the fact that she’s supplying Veronika’s morphine addiction where his concerns for her begins an affair. The affair would be tumultuous where Krohn’s girlfriend Henriette (Cornelia Froboess) becomes suspicious about Voss yet is fascinated by her lifestyle and life while is also becoming aware that another of Dr. Katz’s patients are involved with opiates. The addiction would only increase Veronika’s own delusions including claims she is to come back though the reality is far more troubling as her ex-husband in screenwriter Max Rehbein (Armin Mueller-Stahl) warns Robert to not to get too close.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has style as it evokes elements of classical old Hollywood films with its stylish lighting and presentation while playing up this world of postwar West Germany as it is shot on location in and around Munich. There is an element of style in Fassbinder’s compositions in the way he would frame his actors in a shot as well as the presentation of a room or a restaurant where he would use a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the scope of the locations but also the world that Voss lives in. There are close-ups in the film that do play into the melodrama while there are also some stylish shots including a few slanted camera angles as it add to this warped reality that Voss is in. Even as there’s flashbacks of the life she once had as there’s a scene at her apartment as it’s full of posh antiques and such while it then cuts to the apartment without all of those things as she’s spending time with Robert who gets a closer look into her troubled mental state.
Fassbinder also evokes elements of suspense as it relates to Robert trying to find out about Voss’s mental state, her past as an actress supported by the Nazis, and her time with Dr. Katz. Notably as there are these offbeat elements as Dr. Katz’s office as it feels like this posh hospital which includes an American GI (Gunther Kaufmann) helping her out as he barely says anything. It’s among these quirks that Fassbinder puts in as well as the fact that Robert is somewhat out of his element since he’s a sports reporter but he’s determined to seek out the truth. Even in the third act where there is this absurdity as it relates to Dr. Katz’s methods and this sense of an end for Voss who is forced to accept reality about her fleeting fame. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a majestic yet haunting film about an actress’ descent into madness in her attempt to return to the world of films.
Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its dazzling usage of interior lights for some of the flashbacks and interior settings including Dr. Katz’s office as well as some stylish exterior shading for some of the scenes at night. Editor Juliane Lorenz does brilliant work with the editing as its stylish usage of transition wipes help play into the film’s stylistic presentation along with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Rolf Zehetbauer and art director Walter Richarz do excellent work with the look of the places the characters go to including the stylish apartment office that Dr. Katz lives in as well as Voss’ home in its glory days and ruined state. Costume designer Barbara Baum does fantastic work with the costumes as it features a lot of the stylish and expensive clothing Voss wears as well as the ragged look of Robert in his ordinary suit and such.
The makeup work of Anni Nobauer and Gerd Nemetz is terrific as it play into the beauty of Voss but also moments where she becomes mad where the makeup starts to fade away. The sound work of Vladimir Vizner is superb for the way some of the sparse moments sound at Dr. Katz’s office as well as the volume of the music as well as maintaining a natural approach to the sound. The film’s music by Peer Raben is amazing for its offbeat score that is this mixture of country and the pop music of the times with some eerie piano-based pieces while the soundtrack features elements of American country and standards music that often plays on the radio or sung by Voss.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Rainer Werner Fassbinder as a man at a movie theater sitting behind Voss, editor Juliane Lorenz as a secretary, Volker Spengler and Peter Zadek as a couple of film directors Voss would work with as the former during her prime and the latter in her comeback attempt, Hans Wyprachtiger as Robert’s editor-in-chief, Elisabeth Volkmann as a co-worker of Robert in Grete, Sonja Neudorfer as a saleswoman at a posh restaurant, Lilo Pempeit as a manager of the restaurant who recognizes Voss, Gunther Kauffman as an American GI who works for Dr. Katz, Johanna Hofer and Rudolf Platte as an old couple who are patients of Dr. Katz, Peter Berling as a film producer who wants to help Voss in finding the right role for her comeback, and Erik Schumann as Dr. Edel who is an associate of Dr. Katz.
Doris Schade is fantastic as Dr. Katz’s assistant Josefa who does a lot to lie and help out Dr. Katz as well as also do a lot of the cleaning up. Armin Mueller-Stahl is superb as Voss’ ex-husband/screenwriter Max Rehbein as a man who used to bring the best in her as he would warn Robert about getting too close to her knowing a lot about her madness up close. Annemarie Duringer is excellent as Dr. Marianne Katz as a neurologist who is treating Voss in order to deal with her madness though she has ulterior motives of her own while her own methods including supplying morphine to Voss makes her a chilling figure in the film. Cornelia Froboess is brilliant as Robert’s girlfriend Henriette as a woman who is fascinated by Voss though is troubled by her drug abuse, association with the Nazis, and the methods of Dr. Katz where she tries to get proof of her abuse.
Hilmar Thate is amazing as Robert Krohn as a sports writer who meets Voss though has no clue of who she is as he gets to know her only to put himself in trouble as it relates to Dr. Katz where he also deals with her troubling methods. Finally, there’s Rosel Zech in a tremendous performance as the titular character as this once-famous actress during the era of Nazism who deals with her fading celebrity and growing dependency on morphine as she meets this man hoping he would help her where Zech displays that aura around her as someone who is this great yet controversial figure but is one step away from just losing it.
Veronika Voss is a phenomenal film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a spectacular performance from Rosel Zech in the titular role. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling presentation, study of fading stardom and madness, and its offbeat yet riveting music score and soundtrack. The film is a ravishing film that explores a woman dealing with her own madness as well as trying to get a writer to help her only to bring more trouble. In the end, Veronika Voss is a sensational film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) - Lola (1981 film) - Querelle
© thevoid99 2021
Set from the final days of World War II to the early 1950s, the film follows the journeys and evolution of a woman who would marry a soldier in those final days only for him to disappear where she would take part in other ventures during his disappearance as a way to be part of this new economic miracle in postwar Germany. The film is an exploration of a woman in the course of her life from her wedding day to the culmination of everything she has worked for while maintaining her loyalty to her husband. The film’s screenplay that features additional work from Kurt Raab as it begins in 1943 Berlin during a battle where the titular character (Hanna Schygulla) and Hermann Braun (Klaus Lowitsch) are getting married while all of this chaos happens around them as he would leave the next day and then disappear as Germany would lose the war. During the course of the next eight years, Maria would do things to survive following news that claimed that Hermann has died where she engages in a brief romance with an African-American soldier in Bill (George Byrd) and then meet a wealthy industrialist in Karl Oswald (Ivan Desny) whom she would become his personal assistant.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has an air of style in terms of the way he moves his camera for a shot or in a location as well as play into this world of an old Germany during the final days of the war and the economic re-birth it would be a part of after the war. Shot largely on location in Coburg in then-West Germany and parts of West Berlin, Fassbinder plays into this period of World War II where it begins with Maria and Hermann being married while air raids are happening as it sets the chaotic tone of what is to come from the film. While there are some wide and medium shots to get a scope of the locations and places that Maria and other characters go to, there is a sense of style in the way Fassbinder would shoot a scene where he would use dolly-tracking shots to move the camera from one area and into another for a single take as it play into some of the drama.
There are some close-ups in the way Fassbinder reacts not just towards a character but also an object whether it’s a carton of cigarettes or an appliance as it would play into something that would foreshadow a lot of what it to come. Sex is a major proponent of the film in how Maria would use her sex appeal to get what she wants but it also plays from a woman that wanted to be love only to then use sex to get what she wants. The direction also play into her evolution where Fassbinder would slowly play into the changing times though not revealing when these events happen as it’s more about this woman being part of the times and finding herself although it would come at some major costs of her own sense of morals. Even towards the end as she becomes successful on her own yet there is still the matter of Hermann whom she is still married to as it play into his own existence and role in their marriage. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a captivating and mesmerizing film about a married woman trying to find her identity during the postwar years of Germany.
Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does amazing work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish lighting for a few of the interior scenes at night. Editors Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Franz Walsch pseudonym) and Juliane Lorenz do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward as it allow shots to linger for a bit as well as cutting to play into some of the dramatic moments. Production designer Norbert Scherer, with set decorators Arno Mathes, Hans-Peter Sandmeir, and Andreas Wilms, does fantastic work with the look of the home where Maria lived with her mother as well as the home of Oswald and the house that Maria would buy late in the film. Costume designer Barbara Baum does brilliant work with the costumes in the dresses that Maria wore as it play into her evolving style from being a woman who wore ragged dresses to high fashion towards the end.
The makeup work of Anni Nobauer is terrific as it play to the look of the characters including Maria early in the film during her attempt to get a job. The sound work of Jim Willis and Milan Bor is superb for the natural approach to sound including some of the sparse moments as well as how music is presented. The film’s music by Peer Raben is wonderful for its low-key piano-based music as it help play into the drama along with some orchestral pieces while the soundtrack feature a lot of the big band and swing music of the times as well as some classical pieces.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Rainer Werner Fassbinder as black markets dealer, Peter Berling as a club owner for American GIs to attend to, Hannes Kaetner as the justice of the peace in the film’s opening scene, Kristine de Loup as the notary in the opening scene, Gunther Kaufmann as a drunken American soldier on a train, Volker Spengler as a train conductor, Bruce Low as an American prosecutor in a trial that involved Maria, Karl-Heinz von Hassel as the German prosecutor, Sonja Neudorfer as a Red Cross nurse, Lilo Pempeit as Maria’s secretary in the third act, Isolde Barth as a woman who accompanies Senkenberg late in the film over business matters, Claus Holm as a doctor that Maria frequently visits, Anton Schiersner as Maria’s grandfather who lives at the apartment with her mother, and Gunter Lamprecht as Hans Wetzel whom Maria’s mother begins to have a relationship with in the film’s second half. George Byrd is superb as an African-American GI named Bill whom Maria would have an affair with early in the film until a major revelation would change everything while Hark Bohm is terrific as Oswald’s bookkeeper Senkenberg as someone who isn’t entirely fond of Maria but realizes her worth in terms of influence as well as admire her ambition.
Gottfried John and Elisabeth Trissenaar are fantastic in their respective roles as longtime friends in Willi and Betti Klenze as a married couple who joins Maria’s ascent with the latter being someone who wants more while the former is someone who just wants simple things as he was also close to Hermann. Gisela Uhlen is excellent as Maria’s mother as a woman who encourages Maria to succeed but then feels alienated by what success has turned Maria into. Ivan Desny is brilliant as Karl Oswald as a textile industrialist who befriends Maria in a train as they later engage in their own affairs while he deals with his own mortality knowing he doesn’t have much time to live.
Klaus Lowitsch is amazing as Hermann Braun as a soldier that Maria would marry as he would be seen briefly for a bit as someone who is a man that is devoted to Maria as he would be this symbolic figure of love whom Maria is often attached to. Finally, there’s Hanna Schygulla in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this woman who gets married only for her husband to disappear where she tries to find her identity where Schygulla displays a radiance to her role as well as this air of evolution from being a prostitute to a woman of power who still clings to her love for Hermann while coping with the affairs she engages in.
Die ehe der Maria Braun is a tremendous film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features an incredible leading performance from Hanna Schygulla. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, a lively music soundtrack, and its theme of a woman trying to find her own identity during the postwar era. It is a film that explores this journey a woman takes where she becomes part of this economic rebirth while dealing with the fact that she is a married woman whose husband is lost with his own uncertain fate. In the end, Die ehe der Maria Braun is a spectacular film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) - Lola (1981 film) - Veronika Voss – Querelle
© thevoid99 2021
Written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Satansbraten (Satan’s Brew) is the story of a revolutionary poet whose life is in a freefall due to debt and lack of inspiration as he borrows money from a nymphomaniac prostitute to find new ideas through the gay underground in West Germany. The film is a study of a man who is trying to re-start his career as a poet as he would explore new cultures as well as base his life on the German poet Stefan George. Starring Kurt Raab, Margit Carstensen, Helen Vita, Volker Spengler, Ingrid Caven, Ulli Lommel, Brigitte Mira, and Marquad Bohm. Satansbraten is an offbeat and whimsical film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The film follows a poet who was once a revered revolutionary as his life is falling apart due to financial ruin and a disintegrating marriage while his relationship with his mistresses and prostitutes haven’t fulfilled him until a source of inspiration has him channel the works of the German poet Stefan George. It is a film that explores a man trying to re-start his career and life as a writer/poet as his life is in a whirlwind as he also wants to create anarchy where a moment of inspiration has him writing a poem yet in the style of Stefan George. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay doesn’t have a lot of plot as it’s more of a study of the actions of its protagonist Walter Kranz (Kurt Raab) who lives in an apartment with his wife Luise (Helen Vita) and his mentally-challenged brother Ernst (Volker Spengler) as the latter likes to play with flies and expose his genitals to guests. Kranz has a few mistresses and dalliances with prostitutes in an attempt to find fulfillment yet he is eager to go into the world of crime as an act of defiance due to his writer’s block. His refusal to play into the conventions of society does give him ideas unaware that he’s borrowing heavily from Stefan George whom he would study and be inspired by his own actions.
Fassbinder’s direction does have elements of style in some of the tracking dolly shots he creates for some parts of the film as it is shot largely on location in Munich. The usage of wide and medium shots have Fassbinder capture the world of the bourgeoisie that Kranz wants to be a part of yet is considered too much of a radical to be accepted as he is also a narcissist. Fassbinder also maintains an intimacy of having much of his action take place in rooms with a lot of close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama and humor. Notably when one of Kranz’s devotees in Andree (Margit Carstensen) who is a virginal mistress from the country as she is mistreated by people in Kranz’s circle. Due to the lack of a strong plot and Kranz’s anarchist actions, the film does meander in its pacing at times as it also includes a murder mystery involving Kranz and a prostitute where the gun is missing. Fassbinder also play into some of the fallacies of Kranz’s persona as well as revelations about George as it relates to his exploration of the gay underworld in an attempt to gain more followers in the film’s third act with Andree becoming troubled by Kranz’s fanatical ideas and some revelations about him. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a messy yet wild film about a revolutionary poet trying to restart his career through the works of Stefan George.
Cinematographers Jurgen Jurges and Michael Ballhaus do excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward to capture the natural look of the interior locations along with the stylish usage of candles for a couple of Kranz’s reading sessions dressed as George. Editor Thea Eymesz does terrific work with the editing as there isn’t a lot of style other than a few rhythmic cuts to play into the humor. Art directors Kurt Raab and Ulrike Bode do amazing work with the look of Kranz’s apartment home and the places he go to with Bode creating some lavish costumes for some of the clothes the women wear as well as a costume that Kranz wears as George. The sound work of Rolf-Peter Notz and Paul Scholer is superb for the way music is presented on location as well as the emphasis on natural sounds for the scenes set in a room or in a certain place. The film’s music by Peer Raben is wonderful for its orchestral score as it has some upbeat themes as well as some somber pieces to play into some of the drama.
The film’s brilliant cast feature some notable small roles from Armin Meier as a gay hustler, Brigitte Mira as an old lady Kranz turns to for money, Ulli Lommel as the private detective Lauf, Katherina Buchhamer as a nymphomaniac lover of Kranz, Y Sa Lo as an Asian lover of Kranz, Marquad Bohm as a friend/husband of one of Kranz’s mistresses who takes a liking towards Andree, Ingrid Caven as a posh lover of Kranz who would also take a liking towards Andree, and Volker Spengler as Kranz’s mentally-challenged brother Ernst who likes to expose himself and play with dead flies. Helen Vita is excellent as Kranz’ wife Luise as a woman who feels unloved and always tending to him as she feels neglected and mistreated to the point that she becomes ill where only Ernst and later Andree takes notice.
Margit Carstensen is amazing as Andree as a woman from the country who is a devotee to Kranz as she does whatever she can to help him despite putting herself in awful situations to the point of abuse as she later have revelations about the man she is devoted to. Finally, there’s Kurt Raab in an incredible performance as Walter Kranz as a revolutionary writer seeking to restart his writing career after some setbacks where Raab brings a lot of energy despite the fact that his character is a fucking asshole who only cares about himself with little regard for those who care about him.
Satansbraten is a stellar though flawed film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that does feature amazing performances from Kurt Raab and Margit Carstensen. Along with its ensemble cast and offbeat tone, it’s a film that explores a man trying to mirror the ideals of a great German poet unaware of his personal life. While it is messy due to its lack of a strong plot, it is still a fascinating character study that explore a man and his narcissism as he is eager to become great again despite his many faults. In the end, Satansbraten is a superb film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) - The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) - Lola (1981 film) - Veronika Voss – Querelle
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the novel Querelle of Brest by Jean Genet, Querelle is the story of a Belgian sailor who goes to a brothel following a betrayal on a fellow dealer as he deals with his sexuality and other things happening in and around this brothel. Directed and co-edited by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and screenplay by Fassbinder and Burkhard Driest, the film is an exploration of a man dealing with his identity following a murder he committed as the film would Fassbinder’s film released months after his death of a drug overdose. Starring Brad Davis, Franco Nero, Laurent Malet, Hanno Poschl, and Jeanne Moreau. Querelle is a ravishing and provocative film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
The film follows a Belgian sailor whose ship stops at a small French port town known for its seediness where he enters a brothel where he would engage in his first homosexual affair with its bartender leading to a journey of murder, deceit, and self-exploration for the titular character (Brad Davis). It’s a film that is about this small town filled with sailors, drug dealers, steel workers, and all sorts of people engaging in all sorts of decadence with this sailor who also works as a dealer as he kills another sailor over a deal. The film’s screenplay by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Burkhard Dreist with translated text of Jean Genet’s words and other text by Catherine Breillat is filled with a lot of different stories yet it centers around a murder of a sailor that Querelle committed but no one knows if he killed that man.
Querelle deals drugs including opium as he would also meet his brother Robert (Hanno Poschl) who is the lover of the brothel manager Lysiane (Jeanne Moreau). Lysiane’s husband Nono (Gunther Kaufmann) runs and tends the bar as he would get Querelle to play a game of dice where if Querelle wins, he would sleep with Lysiane but if Nono wins. Nono gets to fuck Querelle as the latter does happen where Querelle finds himself entranced by his encounter with Nono. Yet, things become troubling as it relates to Querelle’s relationship with his brother as Lysiane is fascinated by Querelle while Querelle is seen from afar by his superior in Lt. Seblon (Franco Nero) who pines for him. After killing the sailor Vic (Dieter Schodor), Querelle hangs around while a construction worker named Gil (Hanno Poschl) is the main suspect after a fight with another worker as it leads to suspicion but also Querelle trying to spin a web of lies and deceit around everyone. The script doesn’t just feature these storylines involving multiple characters that Querelle meets but also dialogue that is stylish as it also play into this air of intrigue as the film is partially told through an unseen narrator.
Fassbinder’s direction is definitely stylish where it is shot inside a studio to play up this sense of artificiality and fantasy that is prevalent throughout the film. The direction is filled with a lot of symbolism and attention to detail where Fassbinder makes no bones about the homoerotic content in the film from the phallic statues on the balcony, glimpses of shirtless sailors swabbing the deck in the background, glass paintings of sexual imagery at the brothel, and the gazing of men’s crotches throughout the film. The usage of close-ups help play into the emotional elements of the film but also this idea of identity as it’s presented in a stylish and expressionist approach with some medium shots for some shots to play into some of the dramatic tension. Fassbinder’s approach to the wide shots help play into the attention to detail into this small port town as there is this artificiality that surrounds the location but it also play into this idea of a gay man’s paradise.
With the aid of co-editor Juliane Lorenz, Fassbinder’s editing does have bits of style as it play more into the emotional and melodramatic elements of the film. Notably in a scene where Querelle and Gil meet to discuss a partnership as it play into the former’s need for control. Fassbinder also displays that air of style in a fight scene between Querelle and Robert as it play more like a dance than a knife fight. The direction also play into this sense of intrigue and desire while nothing overtly explicit is shown where Fassbinder instead aims for something emotional. The air of suspense as it relates to the murder does have Fassbinder sort of play with the conventions of the detective film as it reaches this climax that is more dramatic than suspenseful as well as revelations about Querelle’s own journey. Overall, Fassbinder crafts an intoxicating yet entrancing film about a Belgian sailor’s exploits in a small French port town and brothel.
Cinematographers Xaver Schwarzenberger and Josef Vavra do amazing work with the film’s overtly stylish cinematography with its usage of artificial lighting for many of the film’s exterior and interior setting with its usage of yellow and orange along with blue lights for a few key scenes as a form of moonlight. Production designer Rolf Zehetbauer and art director Walter E. Richarz do brilliant work with the look of the port city as well as the interiors of the brothel and some of the places including the phallic statues. Costume designers Barbara Baum and Monika Jacobs do fantastic work with the look of Lt. Seblon’s uniform, the sailor uniforms, the leather uniforms of the police, and the lavish clothing of Lysiane.
Makeup artists Ingrid Massmann-Korner and Gerhard Nemetz do terrific work with the look of Lysiane in her lavish makeup as someone desperately trying to regain a sense of her youth. The sound work of Hartmut Eichgrun and Vladimir Vizner do superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the brothel and some of the places outside of the buildings. The film’s music by Peer Raben is incredible for its mixture of jazz-like pieces including a couple of songs that Lysiane sings as well as some eerie electronic-based pieces that play for dramatic effects and some lush orchestral pieces as it is a highlight of the film.
The film’s marvelous cast include notable small roles from Neil Bell as Gil’s lover Theo, Dieter Schidor as the sailor/dealer Vic Rivette, Burkhard Driest as the corrupt police officer Mario who is attracted to Querelle, Laurent Malet as a young sailor who observes some of the action, Roger Fritz as a police official, and Gunther Kauffmann as the brothel bartender Nono who sort of runs the brothel and other things as he would decide Querelle’s self-exploration fate.
Hanno Poschl is excellent in his dual role as Querelle’s brother Robert and the construction worker Gil where he displays a sense of torment and anguish in the former as someone who has some issues with his brother while he is a more charismatic figure as the latter as someone that is in love but is also dealing with trouble when he’s been accused of killing Vic. Franco Nero is fantastic as Lieutenant Seblon as a naval officer who pines for Querelle from afar as a man who records his thoughts on a tape recorder while is also concerned for Querelle’s well-being. Jeanne Moreau is amazing as Lysiane as the brothel owner who also sings as she is someone that is entranced by Querelle but is also concerned about what he might bring to the brothel. Finally, there’s Brad Davis in an amazing performance as the titular character as this sailor/drug dealer who murders a fellow dealer and later encounters his first homosexual experience as he deals with his sexuality and role in life while trying to manipulate and control everything as it’s a sleazy yet charismatic performance from Davis.
Querelle is a phenomenal film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features great performances from Brad Davis, Jeanne Moreau, Hanno Poschl, and Franco Nero. Along with its gorgeous visuals, rapturous music score, and themes of sexual identity and dominance, it is a film that display this idea of fantasy, reality, and longing but also a world that is dark with a young man trying to control everything. Even as it is shown in grand display without any kind of compromise which is a great way for Fassbinder to go in his final film. In the end, Querelle is a sensational film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) - Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) - The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) - Lola (1981 film) - Veronika Voss
© thevoid99 2019
