Category Archives: Melodrama

I Only Want You to Love Me (1976)

Posted on May 29, 2013 by yearof44films

As I’ve said many times now, one of Fassbinder’s great strengths as an artist was his ability to translate incredibly specific, personal, and often idiosyncratic experiences and emotions into terms that a much wider audience could relate to. You don’t … Continue reading →

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Fear of Fear (1975)

Posted on April 26, 2013 by yearof44films

It’s impossible to watch Angst vor der Angst (the German title is just so much better, don’t you think? Just say it out loud!) without thinking of Martha. Both films feature Margit Carstensen as a high-strung housewife crushed by marriage. … Continue reading →

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Effi Briest (1974)

Posted on January 16, 2013 by yearof44films

Before we get started I just want to state for the record that my assertion that Martha just might be the movie in which RWF learned that he could dispense with critical distance altogether might very well be the stupidest … Continue reading →

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Martha (1974)

Posted on January 2, 2013 by yearof44films

I’ve always assumed that Fear Eats the Soul marks the pinnacle of RWF’s obsession with Douglas Sirk. (I believe I said as much in my last post.) But that’s only because I hadn’t seen Martha. Now that I’ve seen Martha … Continue reading →

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Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

Posted on November 26, 2012 by yearof44films

I suppose it was inevitable. I seem to have lost all momentum with this thing and I don’t know how to get it back. Too busy the past few months, I think I may have just forgotten how to do … Continue reading →

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The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)

Posted on July 23, 2012 by yearof44films

As you might expect, there are a couple of RWF movies I’ve been really dreading, some because they’re really slow and static, others because they’re just emotionally brutal and depressing. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant has been at … Continue reading →

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The Merchant of Four Seasons (1971)

Posted on July 20, 2012 by yearof44films

I’ve been picturing some kind of Venn diagram to categorize Fassbinder movies. The Merchant of Four Seasons, for example, would fall within at least two circles (probably more than that, but two’s a good place to start): stories of Men … Continue reading →

Posted in German Cinema, Melodrama, Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Tagged | 4 Comments

The Niklashausen Journey, Rio das Mortes, and Pioneers in Ingolstadt (TV Movies 1970-71)

Posted on July 5, 2012 by yearof44films

As mentioned in a previous post, it turns out that three of RWF’s movies made for German TV in 1970-71 are now available on DVD, thanks to the Fassbinder Foundation. So back to 1970 we go—so much for chronological order … Continue reading →

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