A review: "Der amerikanische Soldat" [1970 West Germany]

Mention "Der amerikanische Soldat" [Eng. Title: The American Soldier], and we'd be talking about early Fassbinder. For this was the period when Rainer Werner Fassbinder was experimenting with various genre in his own unique style that was still evolving, before maturing and finding international acclaim in few years through films like Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.


As part of Fassbinder's gangster-themed trilogy, The American Soldier is outwardly presented as a pastiche of American film-noire, only to shatter the viewers' preconceptions few minutes into the film. It's a different kettle of fish altogether - cleverly mixing a straight narrative with images ranging from digression to deviant mischievousness. The outrageously grotesque final shoot-out scene, shown in slow-motion, is just one example of Fassbinder's digression from established film-noire expectations. The film is replete with such moments, but it doesn't necessarily make a mockery of traditional story-telling - it does retain a conventional narrative structure, but is more concerned with the tone than the story itself. Portraying realism is also sacrificed in the process.


The film is about the eponymous soldier, named Ricky (Karl Scheydt) - a Vietnam veteran who's now a hired assassin. A group of corrupt cops, under pressure to crack a case, decide to close investigations by finishing off suspects by not getting directly involved, and hire Ricky to do the dirty in Munich, a city that he also hails from - he was born to a German mother and American father. Ricky, who'd become a heartless thug after all that he'd seen and been through during his war years, will not be distracted by a German past even as old acquaintances try to haunt him, but he'll use his old childhood friend Franz (played by Fassbinder himself) as a reliable sidekick for the mission. He'll later visit his mother, with whom his strange brother still lives, and after establishing their uneasy relationship, the film finishes with the afore-mentioned shoot-out sequence.


Anecdotes:

• Interestingly, the film anticipates "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" by partly revealing its plot during a passage of play, through a maid played by actress and future film director Margarethe von Trotta.
• The film was made around the time when Fassbinder also married Ingrid Caven. She appears in a scene, at her glamorous best, as club singer Inga - Ricky's old flame - the scene includes actual footage from their wedding reception.
• Fassbinder's on-and-off girlfriend Irm Hermann also makes an appearance in the scene when we're first introduced to Ricky - she plays a talkative prostitute picked up by him upon arrival in Munich, only to grow tired of her quickly.

As a work of art, the film may not be among Fassbinder's most refined works, even if it is wickedly satisfying and funny. But it does offer a glimpse into his mind at work - into his pet themes like impractical love that'll later become his obsession. If you're new to Fassbinder, this is probably not the first place to explore his work, but if you've already sampled some of his later films, this little nugget is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Elga Sorbas and Karl Scheydt
Rosa, played by Elga Sorbas, is girlfriend of one of the corrupt cops who hired Ricky. When the cop overhears Ricky calling for the services of a 'classy' prostitute to soothe his murderous nerves, he asks Rosa to fill in - a role she assumes with indignation, but one that she'll soon begin to enjoy. The hotel maid (Margarethe von Trotta), who'd set her eyes on Ricky, is peeved upon finding a paid-for woman in his room - she had offered herself to him gladly, and his preference for a 'prostitute' instead is hard to take.



.

Hanna Schygulla in Liebe ist kälter als der Tod

Rainer Werner Fassbinder made his feature-film début through the crime drama "Liebe ist kälter als der Tod" [Eng. Title: Love is Colder Than Death]. It's an endearing ode to the French New Wave, Hollywood Film Noire, and Italian Spaghetti Westerns. It was also the beginning of a life long collaboration in feature films with his muse - the talented and fabulous Hanna Schygulla.

Storyline:
A romantic crime thriller with a straightforward plot, the film cynically depicts the fate of a low-life couple living in Munich; Franz (RW Fassbinder) is a pimp, in frequent brush with the law, and Joanna (Hanna Schygulla) - his girlfriend, and a prostitute herself. They're in love. Franz is paid a visit by Bruno (Ulli Lommel), a thug that he befriended while being interrogated by 'the syndicate', where he had spurned their demand to work for them - he'd rather be his own boss. Unbeknown to him, Bruno had agreed to work for the syndicate, and his visit is to influence Franz, through friendly persuasion, into carrying out the syndicate's orders. It's a task that Bruno finds only too easy to accomplish - Franz has been so accommodating as to even allow Bruno to share his girlfriend during his stay. Joanna however, isn't particularly bowled over by Bruno, an affront that'll lead him to secretly plot her death. But Joanna hatches a cunning plan of her own to save herself and her beloved Franz...

There's ample evidence in the film of Fassbinder's influences from other great directors, notably Godard, Chabrol, and perhaps even Antonioni. There is also a hint of his past background in theatre, especially in the indoor scenes. The set design is as minimalist as can be - some scenes have nothing but an empty room and a chair, and on at least a couple of occasions, you have the cast acting out in front of a plain wall. As Spartan as it may appear, the film succeeds nevertheless in depicting the alienation of the protagonists, a theme which Fassbinder would refine in his later films. While there are aspects of film-noire in the screenplay, the cinematography is anything but, preferring instead the formal compositions of a Bergman melodrama, beautifully executed. The film gives notice to the world of a new master in the making. Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]
Amazon Fassbinder Box-set 1969-1972 [PAL]
(My preferred choice, as the set includes no less than 9 disks from his early films)



The Nudity: Hanna Schygulla
The beautiful and über-classy Hanna Schygulla may not have had the opportunity to showcase her famed versatility as an actress that much, but appears nude in at least three scenes, including one where she's seen mending a blouse that she'd just been wearing - she later answers the door topless when a client comes visiting.



.

Hanna Schygulla & co in "Warnung vor einer Heiligen Nutte" [1971 W.Germany]

1971 was one of the most productive years for the incomparable Rainer Werner Fassbinder, finishing no less than three feature films and a clutch of TV films during the period. "Warnung vor einer Heiligen Nutte" [Eng. Title: Beware of the Holy Whore] takes a wry look at issues among his film crew from earlier productions, of course, using a lot of artistic license. Talk about washing dirty linen in public..!

What's interesting about the film is that he uses the very same crew he's talking about, only making many of them play a different crew/cast member. Same events are recreated, but not exactly in relation to a particular character - for e.g., something that happened to a particular crew member is attributed to someone else's character. There is no story to tell in this film - it is just an observation, shot in the style of a 'Behind the Scenes' featurette, only this one is in full length, and without those ubiquitous camera interviews. Positively hilarious in places, it also gives us a vivid peek into their 'communal' and mixed-up lifestyles. There's plenty of self-deprecating humour going on - Fassbinder himself is recreated as the volatile producer-director 'Jeff', performed by a young Lou Castel. Fassbinder acts in the film too, appearing as the production manager.

One thing we can't grudge the Fassbinder Foundation is the loving manner in which they've restored his films to their original glory. This DVD is a superb remastering exercise that brings out all the efforts put in by the cast and crew in the finest detail commercially possible, and therefore definitely worth adding to your collection. This little gem is also a major departure from the Fassbinder films I've reviewed so far (mind you, I'm still working through his filmography). The best way to purchase it however is through the Rainer Werner Fassbinder commemorative collection box-set that feature no less than 9 of his earliest classics - much cheaper than having to buy them individually. Reason enough to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Box-set Link




Compilation: Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake, and Margarethe von Trotta
There may only be brief nudity in these scenes, but definitely worth checking out.



Scene Guide:

• While something serious is happening in the busy hotel lobby which the film crew are using as the location, script girl Katrin Schaake is in a threesome with two crew members among all the commotion.
• No nudity but sexy as the beautiful Hanna Schygulla, playing her own character, warms up to a senior cast member.
• And they end up in bed. Nice little view of Ms. Schygulla here.
• Funny and kinky scene of production assistant Babs having a post-coital chat with the director, about a male actor who the director fancies. When her husband and production manager Sascha calls, she matter-of-factly tells him she's in bed with the director, and that she'll be coming down shortly. Babs is played by saucy Margarethe von Trotta. :)

.

Y Sa Lo in Fassbinder's "Die Dritte Generation" [1979 W.Germany]

When he made "Die Dritte Generation" [Eng. Title: The Third Generation], Rainer Werner Fassbinder was disillusioned with far-left politics - he was thought to have been marginally sympathetic towards organisations like the R.A.F at the beginning, but here he was, two years after their crackdown, taking a harsh and cynical look at misguided and vague ideologies of such revolutionaries.

Die Dritte Generation is an unusual Fassbinder in that it is shot in a style very different to his earlier films, highly original nevertheless. Many of the dialogues and scenes are intentionally overlapped with sound from radio/TV, or text quoted from press editorials and public urinals, some of which is to make a historical reference point, but some are merely used to mock and talk over the characters, who are not only incompetent, but also don't seem to have any firm convictions left. The film starts with a statement, "Dedicated to a true lover like no other - perhaps?", which while sounding innocuous, is provocative coming from Fassbinder (he's convinced there aren't any left, and doesn't spare innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire either). This lesser known but meticulously crafted gem of a dark comedy from Fassbinder is definitely one of his great films. The production values are excellent as usual, and includes one of his regulars, the beautiful Hanna Schygulla in the role of Susanne, one of the gang members and daughter in law of a police superintendent, and Fassbinder, apart from writing and directing, also handles the camera work. Needless to say, "Highly Recommended Viewing".

Here's a great value box-set, which includes this classic, along with some of his other films featured in the blog:
Amazon DVD Link.




Storyline:
"Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung" ("The World as Will and Representation", attributed to philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer) is the ironic codeword issued to activate a Berlin cell of a revolutionary wing - all the members had by then settled into benign middle-class existence. The film pokes fun at them as they ineptly seek targets and purpose. The father of one of the members also happens to be the police superintendent. But unbeknown to some of the members themselves, they are being funded by a multinational hi-tech company selling computers, as part of its marketing strategy. After a fall in terrorism levels, few companies wanted to invest in computer systems any more, and the company cynically uses the gang to engineer hi-profile hits to renew interest in its products. Add to this the ineptness of the gang and some misfits tagging along with them, a bundle of gags unfold in this unusual comedy about terrorism.




Compilation: Y Sa Lo and Bulle Ogier
The film also features some brief frontal nudity, thanks to one of its fringe characters - Ilse, a junkie who's taken refuge in one of the member's homes.



Scene Guide:

• No nudity but ironic scene where feminist gang member Hilde succumbs to the charms of newly arrived Paul. Hilde is played by cute French fräulein Bulle Ogier.
• Franz, recently released from the navy, comes looking for his girlfriend Ilse, a junkie who'd been given a room to stay in the rather benevolent gang member Rudolf's flat. Other members warn him that she'll only bring trouble, but he'd ignored them. Ilse is played by Y Sa Lo.
• Franz had brought along his friend Bernhard too, and Ilse asks Rudolf if they too could stay at the flat for a few days until they get themselves sorted. She asks this while buck naked in front of everyone, and Rudolf agrees.
• No nudity but funny scene as the Paul plays with his member watching TV while his host Hilde is busy consoling her friend Petra, who'd come crying after one of her fights with her husband. When Petra tells him all men are the same, he retorts, "of course, men will always be men, what do you expect!".
• Franz 'curing' Ilse from her addiction in the only way he knows..! But once he falls asleep she rummages through his things looking for cash to buy drugs. She finds some in Bernhard's bag, who gets upset and tells her that she only needed to ask. She runs around the house totally starkies in his funny scene.

Note: Of late I've been struggling to find time to keep the blog updated, not due to lack of new material (I've barely touched a third of my DVD collection to date) but work commitment.

.



.

Irm Hermann & Ingrid Caven in "Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten" [1971 W.Germany]

Going through Rainer Werner Fassbinder's filmography, I find his 1971 melodrama, "Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten" [Eng. Title: The Merchant of Four Seasons] a beautifully 'designed' piece of cinema, albeit a highly stylised one. You won't find conventional realism portrayed here, far from it - it's as if Fassbinder had conducted a Pulcinella using his actors - puppets held by strings to recreate his own little world. I use the word 'designed' because it is magnificently conceived and produced, almost Bergman-like in detail, but with Fassbinder's own vision. One could also see strong influences from his theatrical background, the film could just as well work as a conventional play.

The story itself is simple - about a man's longing for acceptance by society for who he is, more importantly by his airs-and-graces middle-classs mother - she is even embarrassed to tell anyone what her son Hans does for a living - a street hawker selling fruits. The condescension heaped upon him by all around only add to his insecurities, to the point of despair, and eventual depression.

I agree this all sounds horrible, but Fassbinder succeeds in forcing us to look at the protagonist's anguish objectively rather than emotionally, by creating a disassociation between Hans and the audience. He achieves this by making his cast give toned-down, almost wooden performances, that we never get to connect with, and end up watching their plight in a detached manner. His theory, I presume, is that while it is important to get to see someone from their perspective, it is also important to know how a detached world would view their circumstances. The family members, baring Hans' sister Anna, also prescribe to the same viewpoint.

Technically, it is splendid - for such a prolific film maker (Fassbinder made forty three full-length films in a career spanning just fifteen years, no mean achievement), to pay so much attention to detail - set arrangement, angles, lighting, composition, and even the editing, in addition to writing it in the first place, is simply mind-boggling. Here was one man possessed, it's as if Fassbinder foresaw his own early death, and wanted to bequeath as many unique works to humanity as possible before then. To surmise, if you want to watch something challenging and unique, and love cinema, you should give this a try - just allow enough time to let it sink in. Highly Recommended Viewing..!

The Arrow Films DVD from which this compilation was made, came with an excellent quality transfer, and also includes goodies like fascinating and revealing interviews from the actresses in this film - held 10 years after Fassbinder's death, and also a feature-length retrospective of Fassbinder's filmography. Great value for money.




Compilation 1: Irm Hermann
A lot of the characters in the film have the same name as the actors playing them. Hans' wife Irmgard is played by Fassbinder regular and real-life lover, Irm Hermann.



Scene Guide:

• No nudity - Irmgard objects to Hans delivering fruits to the lady living upstairs - she knows that that woman was after all the greatest love of his life.
• No nudity - marital disharmony when a visibly drunk Hans arrives late and beats up an annoyed Irmgard - but it is shot in a comical manner.
• Irmgard decides to have a naughty fling with a stranger as revenge for her husband's mistreatment. But little Renate catches mum in the act, and Irmgard doesn't know where to hide.
• The only scene where the couple display any sign of real affection towards one other.

Compilation 2: Ingrid Caven
Fassbinder cast his then wife Ingrid Caven in the role of Hans' love interest. Even after refusing to marry Hans, citing his lowly job as the reason, she continues to have the occasional sexual rendezvous.



Scene Guide:

• A confused Hans takes a long walk and ends up in Ingrid's apartment. She quickly undresses and asks him to do the same as she wants them to be finished before her husband returns from work, which only puts him off the very idea.
• Brief downblouse scene from Elga Sorbas who plays prostitute Marile. This was also how Hans lost his job as a policeman. Rounded up for routine questioning, Marile tries to win Hans' favour by volunteering some 'head', only to be caught red-handed by the Head constable himself!

.

Hanna Schygulla in "Die Ehe der Maria Braun" [1979 W.Germany]

Continuing the filmography of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, his 1979 film, "Die Ehe der Maria Braun" [Eng. Title: The Marriage of Maria Braun] is the last in his BRD Trilogy, all relating to women and marriage during post-war Germany.

The film starts with Maria getting married to soldier Hermann right on the street - the registrar's office had just been blown up by advancing Allies. It's the last few days of the war in Europe, and Hermann is asked to report back to duty after half a day and one night's marital bliss. When he's reported as missing in action, Maria refuses to believe he's dead, and decides to live in hope. But for that she needs to survive among the debris of war. She works at a bar frequented by American soldiers, and befriends a black sergeant who showers her with gifts and falls in love, but she refuses his marriage proposal, saying, "I'm fond of you, but I'm in love with my husband".

The husband returns unexpectedly, but ends up in prison under dramatic circumstances. Maria visits Hermann in prison regularly and assures him she will become successful and rich by the time he is released. She now befriends a French industrialist and ends up working as his private secretary, later to have an affair with him, even becoming heiress to his fortune. Maria is determined to succeed and live for her husband, even if that requires having affairs with other men, and foreigners too. In fact, Maria the character is a parable for post war Germany itself, and the enforced break-up of the country into East and West.

The film is very well written, and the sharp-witted dialogues makes it a very fine satire. Even though I'm just scratching at the surface, I'm beginning to throroughly enjoy Fassbinder. It is also amazing to see how much he puts into each of his films, considering he was a prolific filmmaker churning out films in quick succession, and with swift production schedules too. The film also features his regular muse and long-term friend Hanna Schygulla in the title role of Maria. This superb actress with oodles of class gives a sterling performance here.

The compilation below was cut from my DVD and includes some of the best scenes of Hanna Schygulla. The DVD also came with some surprising extras, including an very interesting retrospective of women in Fassbinder's films. Highly Recommended Viewing!



Scene Guide:

• Maria with her doctor - she needs a medical certificate before she can take up a job as a waitress.
• Nice scene of Maria with her American lover.
• The doctor confirms Maria's pregnancy and she shocks him by informing who the child's father is.
• Two successive scenes of Maria with her rich employer.
• Hermann finally returns home, and Maria caught by surprise, is afraid of the thought of having to live with someone she had loved all along, but has only lived with for half a day and a night as a wife.
• This is a totally unexpected scene in a restaurant, of a waitress (actress uncredited) being liberally groped by a waiter while Maria is throwing up in the background.

.

Ingrid Caven & Isolde Barth in "In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden" [1978 W.Germany]

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1978 film, "In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden" [Eng. Title: In a Year of Thirteen Moons] is a deeply affecting portrait of unrequited love, loss and pain. The film is a tragedy, but it is also beautiful, and apparently one of Fassbinder's more personal films. The interviews in the DVD extras reveal a director in turmoil after his former lover's suicide a few months earlier, which lead to the making of this film.

I normally don't relish films with this kind of subject - the protagonist is a post-operative transexual - he had become a woman hoping to please someone he loved, but who never returns his love. But it is the poetic narrative, coupled with the extraordinary performance of the actor playing Elvira (Volker Spengler) that lift the film to greatness. This is a romantic film, which can easily relate to people despite their sex or orientation. I'm only just discovering Fassbinder - this being my third, but if any of his other films in my excellent DVD volume come close to this, I must be in for a treat. Highly Recommended Viewing!

There is very little nudity in the film and whatever there is, is purely incidental, not in any way relevant to the main story. First is of Fassbinder-regular Ingrid Craven who plays Zora, flashing at a guy while he works his biceps - despite knowing he is gay. In the latter part, we have the wife of Elvira's therapist Sybille, played by Isolde Barth, listening to a tape from his earlier session.








.

Scenes from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Satansbraten" [1976 West Germany]

I've just started getting acquainted with the works of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, one of the more important directors who shaped and nurtured what is called the "Neuer Deutscher Film" aka New German Cinema. He also scripted, edited and acted in films, occasionally also wearing additional caps as cameraman and composer. The man knows a bit about film all right, even though his background is from theatre. He was apparently also a hell-raiser, and courted controversy throughout his career and personal life. Since I don't know much of his filmography, I'll start with the first film I managed to add to my DVD library, the 1976 black comedy "Satansbraten" [Eng. Title: Satan's Brew].

Walter is a writer going through a mental block, and desperately needs cash to get by with his ailing wife Luise and mentally challenged brother Ernst (he's obsessed with dead flies and wants to find a way to fuck them - you get the idea!). Walter's publisher has refused further payments until he's seen the first few lines from his proposed work. The film is mostly about Walter going to extraordinary lengths to find money, by any means possible. The film is shot at a frenetic pace like a slapstick comedy, but most of it isn't funny at all, but biting satire. There are traces of Godard and Fellini in the way the characters have been drawn. It is actually a very interesting film, but I hope to discover more of Fassbinder over the coming months.




Compilation 1:
Made of three crazy scenes. First is of Walter asking his friend he could have sex with his wife Lisa, played by Fassbinder's former real-life wife Ingrid Caven. In the middle scenes, Walter comes up with an idea to interview prostitutes and write a book about them, and calls in Lana, a part-time high class prostitute for a session. He gets turned on when she says she's normally a very shy person, and decides to have sex with her while his wife and brother are still around. "It's all the name of research" is his explanation to an exasperated wife. His brother Ernst had to be restrained by others when he tries to hump Lana from behind when she goes (naked, as they do) to the bathroom to wash. Lana is played by Y Sa Lo. In the final bizarre scene, an agency woman wants to test Walter to see if he is gay by taking her top off. The woman is played by Christiane Maybach.








Compilation 2:
This is another crazy scene where Walter drags his aristocratic mistress Irmgart von Witzleben into her apartment, asks her to give a blowjob to a pistol, forces her to write him a fat cheque, and then shoots her before he leaves - Irmgart is played by the saucy Katherina Buchhammer. This happens at the beginning of the film. The second half is equally crazy where 'good things' suddenly happen to Walter for all wickedness. Imgart isn't dead after all - the pistol only had blanks, and it was all a game to inspire Walter to start writing again. Just as they celebrate, his friend's wife Lisa, a woman Walter has coveted for long, arrives with her belongings, to replace his wife who'd just died.

]



.