Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945-1982)
In his more than 40 films, Fassbinder captured the soul of West-German society from the 1960s to the early 1980s, laying bare the despair and cruelty that fester at the heart of a materialistic society. The same themes recur in Berlin Alexanderplatz, Fassbinder's epic retelling of Alfred Döblin's eponymous novel of 1929, a book that the filmmaker said was "embedded in my mind, my flesh, my body and my soul." One of his late projects, it was shot in the midst of his historical trilogy The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lola and Veronika Voss. Portraying the broken lives of people on the fringes of bourgeois society, it captures in sweeping detail the decadence of the Weimar Republic as it lurches toward the Third Reich.
In his more than 40 films, Fassbinder captured the soul of West-German society from the 1960s to the early 1980s, laying bare the despair and cruelty that fester at the heart of a materialistic society. The same themes recur in Berlin Alexanderplatz, Fassbinder's epic retelling of Alfred Döblin's eponymous novel of 1929, a book that the filmmaker said was "embedded in my mind, my flesh, my body and my soul." One of his late projects, it was shot in the midst of his historical trilogy The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lola and Veronika Voss. Portraying the broken lives of people on the fringes of bourgeois society, it captures in sweeping detail the decadence of the Weimar Republic as it lurches toward the Third Reich.
Filmography
The City Tramp (Der Stadtstreicher) (1965, WGer, 10 mins)
The Little Chaos (Das Kleine Chaos) (1966, WGer, 9 mins)
Love is Colder Than Death (Liebe ist Kälter als der Tod) (1969, WGer, 88 mins)
Katzelmacher (Cock Artist) (1969, WGer, 88 mins)
Gods of the Plague (Götter der Pest) (1969, WGer, 91 mins)
Why does Herr R. Run Amok? (Warum läuft Herr R. Amok?) (1969, WGer, 88 mins. Co-directed with Michael Fengler. Script improvised)
Rios Das Mortes (1970, WGer, 84 mins)
The Coffee House (Das Kaffeehaus) (1970, WGer, 105 mins)
Whitey (1970, WGer, 95 mins)
The Nicklashausen Journey (Die Niklashauser Fahrt) (1970, WGer, 86 mins. Co-directed with Michael Fengler)
Beware of a Holy Whore (Warnung vor einer Heiligen Nutte) (1970, WGer/Italy, 103 mins)
The American Soldier (Der Amerikanische Soldat) (1970, WGer, 77 mins)
Pioneers in Ingolstadt (Pioniere in Ingolstadt) (1970, WGer, 84 mins)
The Merchant of Four Seasons (Der Händler der vie Jahreszeiten) (1971, WGer, 89 mins)
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Die Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant) (1972, WGer, 124 mins)
Wild Game (Wildwechsel) (1972, WGer, 102 mins)
"Eight Hours Are Not a Day" ("Acht Stunden sind kein Tag") (1972, WGer. Five episodes for television: 101 mins, 100 mins, 92 mins, 89 mins and 89 mins)
Bremen Coffee (Bremer Freiheit) (1972, WGer, 87 mins)
World on a Wire (Welt am Draht) (1973, WGer. Two parts for television screening: 99 and 106 mins)
Nora Helmer (1973, WGer, 101 mins)
Martha (1973, WGer, 112 mins)
Fear Eats the Soul (Angst essen Seele auf) (1973, WGer, 92 mins)
Effi Briest (1974, WGer, 141 mins)
Fox and his Friends (Faustrecht der Freiheit) (1974, WGer, 123 mins)
Like a Bird on the Wire (Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht) (1974, WGer, 44 mins. Co-directed with Christian Hohoff)
Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (Mutter Küsters fahrt zum Himmel) (1975, WGer, 120 mins)
Fear of Fear (Angst vor der Angst) (1975, WGer, 88 mins)
I Only Want You to Love Me (Ich will doch nur, daß ihr mich liebt) (1976, WGer, 104 mins)
Satan's Brew (Satansbraten) (1976, WGer, 112 mins)
Chinese Roulette (Chinesisches Roulette) (1976, WGer, 86 mins)
Bolweiser (1977, WGer. Two parts for television screening: 104 mins and 96 mins. Feature film version approved by Fassbinder, 112 mins)
Women in New York (Frauen im New York) (1977, WGer, 111mins)
Despair (Despair - Eine Reise ins Licht) (1977, WGer/France, 119 mins. Script by Tom Stoppard)
Germany in Autumn (Deutschland im Herbst) (1978, WGer. Fassbinder episode 26 mins. Script improvised)
The Marriage of Maria Braun (Die Ehe der Maria Braun) (1978, WGer, 120 mins. Script by Peter Marthesheimer & Pea Frohlich)
In a Year with 13 Moons (In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden) (1978, WGer, 124 mins)
The Third Generation (Die Dritte Generation) (1979, WGer, 110 mins)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1979-80, WGer. Originally screened for television in 13 parts: 81 mins, 58 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 58 mins, 58 mins, 58 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins and 111 mins. Also screened for the cinema over a number of nights.)
Lili Marleen (1980, WGer/Italy, 120 mins)
Lola (1981, WGer, 113 mins)
Theatre in a Trance (1981, WGer, 91 mins)
Veronika Voss (Die Sehnsucht der Veronkia Voss) (1982, WGer, 104 mins. Script by Peter Marthesheimer & Pea Frohlich)
Querelle (1982, WGer/France, 106 mins)
The Little Chaos (Das Kleine Chaos) (1966, WGer, 9 mins)
Love is Colder Than Death (Liebe ist Kälter als der Tod) (1969, WGer, 88 mins)
Katzelmacher (Cock Artist) (1969, WGer, 88 mins)
Gods of the Plague (Götter der Pest) (1969, WGer, 91 mins)
Why does Herr R. Run Amok? (Warum läuft Herr R. Amok?) (1969, WGer, 88 mins. Co-directed with Michael Fengler. Script improvised)
Rios Das Mortes (1970, WGer, 84 mins)
The Coffee House (Das Kaffeehaus) (1970, WGer, 105 mins)
Whitey (1970, WGer, 95 mins)
The Nicklashausen Journey (Die Niklashauser Fahrt) (1970, WGer, 86 mins. Co-directed with Michael Fengler)
Beware of a Holy Whore (Warnung vor einer Heiligen Nutte) (1970, WGer/Italy, 103 mins)
The American Soldier (Der Amerikanische Soldat) (1970, WGer, 77 mins)
Pioneers in Ingolstadt (Pioniere in Ingolstadt) (1970, WGer, 84 mins)
The Merchant of Four Seasons (Der Händler der vie Jahreszeiten) (1971, WGer, 89 mins)
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Die Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant) (1972, WGer, 124 mins)
Wild Game (Wildwechsel) (1972, WGer, 102 mins)
"Eight Hours Are Not a Day" ("Acht Stunden sind kein Tag") (1972, WGer. Five episodes for television: 101 mins, 100 mins, 92 mins, 89 mins and 89 mins)
Bremen Coffee (Bremer Freiheit) (1972, WGer, 87 mins)
World on a Wire (Welt am Draht) (1973, WGer. Two parts for television screening: 99 and 106 mins)
Nora Helmer (1973, WGer, 101 mins)
Martha (1973, WGer, 112 mins)
Fear Eats the Soul (Angst essen Seele auf) (1973, WGer, 92 mins)
Effi Briest (1974, WGer, 141 mins)
Fox and his Friends (Faustrecht der Freiheit) (1974, WGer, 123 mins)
Like a Bird on the Wire (Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht) (1974, WGer, 44 mins. Co-directed with Christian Hohoff)
Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven (Mutter Küsters fahrt zum Himmel) (1975, WGer, 120 mins)
Fear of Fear (Angst vor der Angst) (1975, WGer, 88 mins)
I Only Want You to Love Me (Ich will doch nur, daß ihr mich liebt) (1976, WGer, 104 mins)
Satan's Brew (Satansbraten) (1976, WGer, 112 mins)
Chinese Roulette (Chinesisches Roulette) (1976, WGer, 86 mins)
Bolweiser (1977, WGer. Two parts for television screening: 104 mins and 96 mins. Feature film version approved by Fassbinder, 112 mins)
Women in New York (Frauen im New York) (1977, WGer, 111mins)
Despair (Despair - Eine Reise ins Licht) (1977, WGer/France, 119 mins. Script by Tom Stoppard)
Germany in Autumn (Deutschland im Herbst) (1978, WGer. Fassbinder episode 26 mins. Script improvised)
The Marriage of Maria Braun (Die Ehe der Maria Braun) (1978, WGer, 120 mins. Script by Peter Marthesheimer & Pea Frohlich)
In a Year with 13 Moons (In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden) (1978, WGer, 124 mins)
The Third Generation (Die Dritte Generation) (1979, WGer, 110 mins)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1979-80, WGer. Originally screened for television in 13 parts: 81 mins, 58 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 58 mins, 58 mins, 58 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins, 59 mins and 111 mins. Also screened for the cinema over a number of nights.)
Lili Marleen (1980, WGer/Italy, 120 mins)
Lola (1981, WGer, 113 mins)
Theatre in a Trance (1981, WGer, 91 mins)
Veronika Voss (Die Sehnsucht der Veronkia Voss) (1982, WGer, 104 mins. Script by Peter Marthesheimer & Pea Frohlich)
Querelle (1982, WGer/France, 106 mins)
Jul 25th 2010