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15. The Marriage Of Maria Braun (Rainer Warner Fassbinder, 1979)
Hanna Schygulla won best prize in Fassbinder's most commercial film, and it'
s not too hard to see as you are absorbed by a performance that conveys confused disappointment, sexiness and sorrow. It's probably one of my favourite performances of all time by an actress.
The film charts the rise of a young German woman who, after the disappearance of her husband following the end of the Second World War, builds herself up to become a high ranking business woman. That's as much as I can summarise Maria Braun without giving too much away, as I am sure it's a film that not everybody has seen.
I'm not sure why I love this film so much and why rank it so highly, to be honest. I'm not sure if it's because of Fassbinder's skillfully applied Brechtian techniques. I'm not sure if it's the brutal honesty of how the auteur feels about his homeland. But what I am sure of...is that Rainer Fassbinder grabbed me almost immediately with this film. Opening and ending with an explosion, Fassbinder was clearly out to make statement - and that he did.
The choices that Maria makes following the disappearance of her husband adequately reflect those made by her nation's in the aftermath of WW2. The notion of fiercely trying but not being able to move on is probably the clearest metaphor that Fassbinder could have made. It's not secret that a lot of Germans, old and new generations, feel a massive sense of guilt and embarrassment regarding Hitler's reign. And from the many that I have spoken to, it's fair to say that some are habouring a sense of self-hatred, and Fassbinder's ably and honestly shows that with his creation of the Maria Braun protagonist. That said, this is somewhat typical of Fassbinder. In virtually 70% of his films he narrates German history through the lives of German women.
Even though this is one of Fassbinder's more accessible films, it's still a complex and ambiguous melodrama. VERY few films have the distinction of being accessibly commercial yet complex at the same time. And if you guys know any, please let me know
Take the final scene for example: How do we know that the gas was left on on purpose or not? Given the character's bizarre nature, it's very hard to determine if such and such was an accident or not.
As you guys can probably guessfrom Hanna's skimpy outfits in the pictures, the film is surprisingly erotic and despite his sexual preference, Fassbinder makes no apologies for drawing on the fact that Maria's most powerful weapon and biggest strength in her rise to power was her sexuality. It's a realistic contrast from the path title character in Mildred Pierce took. Back in those days, sexuality was the main thing women could use to gain leaverage. Sad but true.
Let it be said that this is an astonishing film in the sense that it was one of the few Fassbinder (and German film of the New Wave era) not to intimidate or alienate spectators. It broke down those international barriers by scoopin' a Gloden Globes and the like. It may not be the best international film ever made nor the best German film ever made, but it's still audacious piece of cinema that grabbed an initially cold audience. And for that, I say hail Fassbinder.
Oh, and Schygulla's sexual appeal 
Hanna Schygulla won best prize in Fassbinder's most commercial film, and it'
s not too hard to see as you are absorbed by a performance that conveys confused disappointment, sexiness and sorrow. It's probably one of my favourite performances of all time by an actress.
The film charts the rise of a young German woman who, after the disappearance of her husband following the end of the Second World War, builds herself up to become a high ranking business woman. That's as much as I can summarise Maria Braun without giving too much away, as I am sure it's a film that not everybody has seen.
I'm not sure why I love this film so much and why rank it so highly, to be honest. I'm not sure if it's because of Fassbinder's skillfully applied Brechtian techniques. I'm not sure if it's the brutal honesty of how the auteur feels about his homeland. But what I am sure of...is that Rainer Fassbinder grabbed me almost immediately with this film. Opening and ending with an explosion, Fassbinder was clearly out to make statement - and that he did.
The choices that Maria makes following the disappearance of her husband adequately reflect those made by her nation's in the aftermath of WW2. The notion of fiercely trying but not being able to move on is probably the clearest metaphor that Fassbinder could have made. It's not secret that a lot of Germans, old and new generations, feel a massive sense of guilt and embarrassment regarding Hitler's reign. And from the many that I have spoken to, it's fair to say that some are habouring a sense of self-hatred, and Fassbinder's ably and honestly shows that with his creation of the Maria Braun protagonist. That said, this is somewhat typical of Fassbinder. In virtually 70% of his films he narrates German history through the lives of German women.
Even though this is one of Fassbinder's more accessible films, it's still a complex and ambiguous melodrama. VERY few films have the distinction of being accessibly commercial yet complex at the same time. And if you guys know any, please let me know
Take the final scene for example: How do we know that the gas was left on on purpose or not? Given the character's bizarre nature, it's very hard to determine if such and such was an accident or not.As you guys can probably guessfrom Hanna's skimpy outfits in the pictures, the film is surprisingly erotic and despite his sexual preference, Fassbinder makes no apologies for drawing on the fact that Maria's most powerful weapon and biggest strength in her rise to power was her sexuality. It's a realistic contrast from the path title character in Mildred Pierce took. Back in those days, sexuality was the main thing women could use to gain leaverage. Sad but true.
Let it be said that this is an astonishing film in the sense that it was one of the few Fassbinder (and German film of the New Wave era) not to intimidate or alienate spectators. It broke down those international barriers by scoopin' a Gloden Globes and the like. It may not be the best international film ever made nor the best German film ever made, but it's still audacious piece of cinema that grabbed an initially cold audience. And for that, I say hail Fassbinder.
Oh, and Schygulla's sexual appeal