1972
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
I have complaining a lot lately about how sexist and vile the films in The Book are. Now we get a film that is nothing but women, which I suppose should be a welcome change, if it weren't for the fact that every female in this movie is insane. Progress? Not quite...
Petra von Kant is a fashion designer who has lost two husbands. She employs an assistant, who she treats like a slave, but the assistant seems to like it? Maybe? I am not sure. Anyway, she meets and falls in love with Karin, who has just left her husband. After many angry wig changes, it is clear that Petra is more obsessed with controlling Karin rather than loving her.
It seems like these characters should be fun to watch and analyze, but the truth is that this film is dreadfully dull. It is over two hours of just dialogue and almost nothing happens. I am all for dialogue-heavy films, but this movie failed to impact me in any way. I also can't help squirming at the fact that this is the first movie we have seen in awhile that features a lesbian and she is shown as being deeply disturbed.
A bore and I prefer the tears of General Yen.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Shot in ten days and the screenplay was written on a twelve hour flight. That's dedication.
Well timed.. Andrew has not long completed his Fassbinder season, and I'm currently making my way through all 15+ hours of 'Berlin Alexandraplatz'.
ReplyDeleteNot one of the most accesable Fassbinders, and.. well, easily seen as a bore.
15+ hours? You are a trooper!
DeleteFassbinder is not really my thing, but I have to admit that the part where Karin breaks with Petra was amusing. Or maybe I just have a mean streak..
ReplyDeleteI think something very dialogue-heavy like this where very little develops from activity on the screen probably loses a lot when you have to read it all through the subtitles?
ReplyDeletePS: Wasn't Marlene some kind of shadow-self or part of Petra's personality? And so, at the end when Petra is over it all, when she promises Marlene to be nicer to her what she means is that she will respect herself more? Which, if I'm reading this right, means that the alter-ego merges together and so Marlene can pack her bags and melt away? It also seem reminiscent of the lyrics to Marlene on the Wall and has me questioning some of the meaning of that song.