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Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant [The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant] (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972)
Jan
31
freebie: high fashion
Fashion designer Petra von Kant (Margit Carstensen) – pouting in her emerald-green dress – is kneeled on a large, sheepskin carpet in front of a huge Baroque painting (Nicolas Poussin's Midas und Bacchus, ca. 1624). In front of her a small bottle of gin and a phone. DP: Michael Ballhaus.
A freebie for someone's birthday, with bonus points for high fashion. Petra von Kant is a fashion designer who, during a particularly icy birthday party, tells the world that her new lover is a woman. Then, one day, said lover returns home to her husband.
– You have a good figure. You could use it to your advantage. Get in touch with me some time.
– I'd love to.
With its exuberant costumes and set design, a Greek chorus of mannequins, and Sirk-ish larger- than-life melodrama, Fassbinder's Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant delves deep into the absurdities of love and fancy.
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Götter der Pest [Gods of the Plague] (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1970)
Nov
12
1943
Pornography peddler Carla Aulaulu's (Carla Egerer) criminal record. She's born on November 12, 1943 in Kronstadt. DP: Dietrich Lohmann.
During one scene a perpetual calendar is visible. It's a 26th.
– Why do they call you The Gorilla?
– Because I'm big and strong… and everyone has to have a name.
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Angst vor der Angst [Fear of Fear] (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1975)
Nov
29
freebie: Housewife Day
Margot (Margit Carstensen) seeing herself reflected twice in a triple mirror. We see her from the back, which blocks out the third reflection. DP: Jürgen Jürges.
November 3 redux
“I'm calm. I'm completely calm. You can leave me alone now”
– Margot
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Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982)
Jul
2
World Sports Journalists Day
Actress Veronika Voss (Rosel Zech) with sports journalist Robert Krohn (Hilmar Thate), driving a car at night. DP: Xaver Schwarzenberger.
Veronika Voss, once one of Ufa's greats and rumoured lover of Goebbels, has a chance meeting with #sports journalist Robert Krohn. Despite not recognising her at first glance, the faded star and her world turn out to be irresistible to him.
“What do you want from Voss? She's no good at soccer.”
– Grete
Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss [litt. The yearning of Veronika Voss] is #Fassbinder's tribute to both #BillyWilder's Sunset Blvd. (1950) and real-world actress Sybille Schmitz whose career, like Voss', suffered greatly due to her #morphine dependence after the Entnazifizierung.