Rainer Werner Fassbinder

[charulata]

Didn't see it posted here already but The Third Generation is listed as "in preparation 2005" from Fantoma in the Fassbinder Foundation 2005 Newsletter along with Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?. Fantoma are AWOL at the moment, but apparently still in business (see the Fantoma thread).

[Alain3000]

In this site it makes a comment that Criterion will release Berlln Alexanderplaz in 2007.

announced for a 2007 release from the Criterion Collection, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Fassbinder's magnum opus!

[lord_clyde]

Has anybody askes Mulvaney about this? I have to say it is obviously very good news and will probably make up a box set all it's own.

[ben d banana]

[Matt]

Now, if I can only convince the star of a hit teen drama on Fox to star in my biopic about a gay, coke-sniffing, masochistic, egomaniacal director...

God, it's weird. Look how similar their ears are.

[Andre Jurieu]

Mr. banana just made my day. That's hilarious!

Now, if I can only convince the star of a hit teen drama on Fox to star in my biopic about a gay, coke-sniffing, masochistic, egomaniacal director...

He's already gone indie as an "intense young husband" in Junebug. Whenever he decides he needs to prove he can act, I assume his agent will give you a call regarding this Fassbinder bio-pic of yours. I smell Oscar, or at least Sundance buzz. I've heard he's quite the method actor.

[kieslowski_67]

Now, if I can only convince the star of a hit teen drama on Fox to star in my biopic about a gay, coke-sniffing, masochistic, egomaniacal director...

God, it's weird. Look how similar their ears are.

He was born in 78, so it's still possible that he was Fassbinder's lost son.

[jesus the mexican boi]

Looks like FOX AND HIS FRIENDS has had a price drop -- $8.xx at DDD. Well worth it.

[jorencain]

Thanks for the heads up. I was about to buy this anyway, so the timing was perfect.

[kieslowski_67]

Question on "Germany in Autumn":

Watched this movie on DVD last night and did not feel good. Does anyone know why Fassbinder did those gratuitous nude scenes in long takes, and also the drug scenes when they were absolutely not ncessary? Thanks.

[jesus the mexican boi]

Gratuitous nudity? Omigod, I am SO THERE... Actually, I haven't seen DEUTSCHLAND IM HERBST, but it's my understanding the Fassbinder segment is sort of a cry from the gut after his lover's suicide. Or perhaps that the film prefigures his lover's suicide and the breakup that led up to it. In any case, a deeply felt piece that is said to be among his most naked (no, really--as dark as IN A YEAR OF 13 MOONS). I assume this was on R2?

[chaddoli]

I just saw Winterbottom's Tristam Shandy today (which was fantastic) and in it they discuss a Fassbinder film about a prostitute that is so beautiful that men pay to simpy look at her and talk to her, which actually turns out to be more corrupting than if they had sex with her. It sounded interesting, anyone know which Fassbinder film that is?

[Matt]

Question on "Germany in Autumn": Watched this movie on DVD last night and did not feel good. Does anyone know why Fassbinder did those gratuitous nude scenes in long takes, and also the drug scenes when they were absolutely not ncessary?

Have not seen that one, but I'd say if you think long takes of nudity and drug scenes are "not necessary" in a Fassbinder film, you're coming at it all wrong. I think for Fassbinder, they are very necessary (to quote Salt-n-Pepa). It would be like calling an eating scene in an Ozu film gratuitous, or a pop-culture monologue in a Tarantino film gratuitous. That's just part of what they do.

[kieslowski_67]

Question on "Germany in Autumn": Watched this movie on DVD last night and did not feel good. Does anyone know why Fassbinder did those gratuitous nude scenes in long takes, and also the drug scenes when they were absolutely not ncessary?

Have not seen that one, but I'd say if you think long takes of nudity and drug scenes are "not necessary" in a Fassbinder film, you're coming at it all wrong. I think for Fassbinder, they are very necessary (to quote Salt-n-Pepa). It would be like calling an eating scene in an Ozu film gratuitous, or a pop-culture monologue in a Tarantino film gratuitous. That's just part of what they do.

Matt, I totally understand where you come from. However, I am saying that in this particular movie, there is no need to show long sequences of a nude Fassbinder walking around, talking over the phone while playing with himself, and of course, the frontal nudiy of his male lover.

After all, Fassbinder himself showed up only in the first 15-20 minutes and that part of the story was focused on his reaction to a terrorist attack. I feel that Mr. Fassbinder really had nothing too much to say and was heavily relying on nude scenes as the selling point. The conclusion also came after I watched 20+ Fassbinder movies and I just feel that in this case, it's unneccesary and actually looks weird, especially if you take the movie as a whole.

BTW, Fassbinder is only one of the 10 or so directors listed on the film and I guess that only the first 20 minutes were his work.

[Michael]

There are people who walk around naked in their home. Perhaps Fassbinder wanted to capture the "everyday-ness" of his life.

[jesus the mexican boi]

Rainer did the nude scenes because he could, and he has a nice dick.

Ok... Can we get this quote on our next criterionforum.org T-shirt?

[Cinephrenic]

Can we get a Peter Cowie commentary on that?

[Michael]

Ok... Can we get this quote on our next criterionforum.org T-shirt?

Yeah, can we?

[der_Artur]

It's weird, I have seen "Deutschland im Herbst" but can not remember any nudity in it. Actually, the only Fassbinder film in which I really realized the nudity was "Faustrecht der Freiheit", in every other it was used in a way that seemed to melt properly into the narrative.
Fassbinder's part of "Deutschland im Herbst" shows his very private reaction to the terrorist situation. And a part of his private life was not only to speak with his mother or his friends (and provoke them), but also to fuck and to do drugs. He showed the conversation with his mother in such a well done, obviously realistic way, that actually every other part of his segment can be perceived as a part of the same reality and therefore never is speculative. At least for me.

God, how I hate how little useful english we were taught in school.

[backstreetsbackalright]

Fassbinder himself showed up only in the first 15-20 minutes and that part of the story was focused on his reaction to a terrorist attack. I feel that Mr. Fassbinder really had nothing too much to say and was heavily relying on nude scenes as the selling point. The conclusion also came after I watched 20+ Fassbinder movies and I just feel that in this case, it's unneccesary and actually looks weird, especially if you take the movie as a whole.

Nice dick or no, I dunno that I'd believe a Fassbinder nude scene would be all that much of a selling point, especially in an overtly political film about terrorism in Germany.

I agree that Fassbinder doesn't prove to have a great deal to say in this sequence, but I think that's sort of the point. The Baader-Meinhoff issue at stake is quite complex, and was especially so for German counterculture at the time of the film's production. Fassbinder's adolescently passionate but less-than-eloquent ruminations fall very early in the film, and depict this anxiety and uncertainty better than anything else in this consistently fine film.

[jorencain]

You're right about the scarcity of nudity in Fassbinder - the only other movie with substabntial frontal male scenes again is Angst essen Seele auf with the extremely hot El Hedi ben Salem. And I am struggling to remember any female nudity at all.

"Martha", after her sunburn, and my gut reaction is that there is more, I believe, in "The Merchant Of Four Seasons."

[jesus the mexican boi]

Yeah, there is, I think, full-frontal Irm Hermann in The Merchant of Four Seasons, in the scene where she sleeps with the guy and her kid walks in.

Re: auteur au natural: Not only do you get Fassbinder dong in FAUSTRECHT, you get Fassbinder dong dipped in mud. I think there's a Dairy Queen ice cream item kinda like that.

[Ishmael]

And I am struggling to remember any female nudity at all.

Apart from Merchant and Martha, there's also female nudity in Maria Braun, Chinese Roulette, In a Year of 13 Moons, Satan's Brew, Mother Kusters, Despair, and Love is Colder than Death. At least, if memory correctly serves.

[kieslowski_67]

There was also male frontal nudity (although brief) in "Maria Braun" and it was necessary.

[Mathieu]

Generally speaking, how are the Fassbinder titles released by Wellspring? Watchable prints? Removable subtitles? I don't own any of their other disks, though I almost bought Brief Crossing, but I'm well aware the Truffaut releases were fairly horrible and they completely fucked up Ran. Any input in this matter would be appreciated.