Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982)
Author of The Anarchy of the Imagination: Interviews, Essays, Notes
About the Author
Werner Fassbinder, a German film director and actor, was prolific in his short life. Though he died at age 37, he had already directed 41 films in 13 years. He had also written, acted, and produced for the theater. Fassbinder's films, most of which were made with his own company of actors, are show more notable for the skepticism and irony with which they view the prosperous and corrupt German society that arose from the wreckage of World War II. Among Fassbinder's better-known works are The Third Generation (1979), a work about terrorists; The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), which explores the recurrent theme of homosexuality his work); and Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), a searing descent into the lower-class and criminal worlds that was made for television. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Works by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
The BRD Trilogy: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola (2003) — Director — 28 copies
Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant / Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod. Zwei Stücke (1984) 8 copies
Whity [1971 film] — Director — 5 copies
The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant and Blood on the Neck of the Cat: Two Plays (1984) 4 copies, 1 review
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 09: About the Eternities Between the Many and the Few (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 08: The Sun Warms the Skin, but Burns It Sometimes Too (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 10: Loneliness Tears Cracks of Madness Even in Walls (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 11: Knowledge Is Power and the Early Bird Catches the Worm (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 12: The Serpent in the Soul of the Serpent (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 13: The Outside and the Inside and the Secret of Fear of the Secret (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 14: My Dream of the Dream of Franz Biberkopf by Alfred Döblin, an Epilogue (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 02: How Must One Live If One Doesn't Want to Die? (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 04: A Handful of People in the Depths of Silence (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
The BRD Trilogy: The Supplements 2 copies
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Episode 03: A Hammer Blow to the Head Can Injure the Soul (1980) 2 copies, 2 reviews
Antitheater 2: The Coffeehouse; Bremen Freedom; Blood on the Neck of the Cat [scripts] (1974) 2 copies
O desespero de Veronika Voss 1 copy
Tous les autres s'appellent Ali / Le droit du plus fort / Maman Küsters s'en va au ciel (2019) 1 copy
Marriage of Maria Braun, The 1 copy
Fassbinder Filme: Fassbinders Filme, in 7 Bdn., Bd.4/5, Acht Stunden sind kein Tag, 2 Bde.: Bd 4/5 (Livre en allemand) (1991) 1 copy
om de liefde van laurentia 1 copy
Bremer Freiheit - Programm 1 copy
Die Stadtstreicher 1965. Das kleine Chaos 1966. Liebe ist kälter als der Tod 1969. Katzelmacher 1969. Götter der Pe (1987) 1 copy
Niklashausen Journey 1 copy
Bremer Freiheit 1 copy
Veronika Voss | Lola 1 copy
Stücke 3. Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant. Das brennende Dorf. Der Müll, die Stadt und der Tod (1976) 1 copy
Fassbinder Filme: Fassbinders Filme, 7 Bde., Bd.3, Händler der vier Jahreszeiten; Angst essen Seele auf; Fontane Effi Briest (1990) 1 copy
L'Amore è Più Freddo della Morte;Il Piccolo Caos; il Vagabondo; Il Fidanzato, l'Attrice e il Ruffiano 1 copy, 1 review
PAJ #41 1 copy
Tropfen auf heiße Steine 1 copy
Die Ehe der Maria Braun 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Fassbinder, Rainer Werner
- Other names
- Fassbinder, R. W.
- Birthdate
- 1945-05-31
- Date of death
- 1982-06-10
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Fridl-Leonhard Studio, Munich, Germany
- Occupations
- theater director
playwright
actor
screenwriter
film director
television director - Organizations
- Munich Action-Theater
- Relationships
- Ballhaus, Michael (colleague)
Caven, Ingrid (wife) - Cause of death
- drug overdose (cocaine and barbiturates)
- Nationality
- Germany
- Birthplace
- Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, Germany
- Places of residence
- Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Paris, France
New York, New York, USA
Köln, Germany - Place of death
- Munich, Bavaria, Germany
- Burial location
- Bogenhausener Friedhof, Munich, Germany
- Associated Place (for map)
- Germany
Members
Reviews
It can be a hard thing to judge a play by reading the script: without an actor to give voice to the writing, the words often just sit as dead things on the page. Unfortunately, that was my experience of reading these two short plays.
In The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant I found the characters selfish and malicious and Blood on the Neck of the Cat left me feeling like I was standing in the middle of a crowd being overwhelmed by other people's conversations.
These two plays might be brilliant show more when they're performed, but I can't recommend them as reading material.
Received via NetGalley. show less
In The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant I found the characters selfish and malicious and Blood on the Neck of the Cat left me feeling like I was standing in the middle of a crowd being overwhelmed by other people's conversations.
These two plays might be brilliant show more when they're performed, but I can't recommend them as reading material.
Received via NetGalley. show less
The antiteatre of Fassbinder is present in these works. His works portray a pessimistic, dark side of human existence. Characters are not likable, and the social world they find themselves in is demoralizing. He portrays the plight of intelligent women who are relegated to being second to the male; people who are working to make money for the rich while barely surviving themselves; and the prejudice and suspicion of foreigners that characterized mid-20th century Germany. They are short and show more easy to read, but bleak, so it is difficult to say they are enjoyable. They are enjoyable, though, in a dark unpleasant sort of way. show less
An interracial couple is surrounded by former Nazis.
I'm fortunate that I don't relate to this movie. I don't personally experience prejudice in my day to day life. In the film, it's just taken as a given. There's no attempt by Fassbinder to explain or understand it; it's just the way things are. Intellectually, I know that people as hateful as those in the movie are real. Even today, some of them are successful, powerful politicians. But, emotionally, I find I'm unable (or maybe unwilling) show more to accept it. The result is that the movie feels unbelievably over-the-top to me.
Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: B
Pacing: D
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: B
Enjoyment: C minus
GPA: 2.6/4 show less
I'm fortunate that I don't relate to this movie. I don't personally experience prejudice in my day to day life. In the film, it's just taken as a given. There's no attempt by Fassbinder to explain or understand it; it's just the way things are. Intellectually, I know that people as hateful as those in the movie are real. Even today, some of them are successful, powerful politicians. But, emotionally, I find I'm unable (or maybe unwilling) show more to accept it. The result is that the movie feels unbelievably over-the-top to me.
Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: B
Pacing: D
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: B
Enjoyment: C minus
GPA: 2.6/4 show less
I bought this based on who the screenplay writer was and who wrote the novel it was adapted to. IMHO, other directors would have done better.
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 142
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 1,075
- Popularity
- #23,918
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 89
- ISBNs
- 150
- Languages
- 10
- Favorited
- 5
