I gave it 6 but the entertaintment value was 3-4 while the thoughfulness factor was 7-8). I usually stand to see people i don't like but i really wanted petra to die, she was a pathetic and evil person (well maybe not evil, but weak enough to be so bad I wanted her to suffer- I fought with my feelings though as I know "thou shalt not kill")
"Where there's a whip, there's a will"
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You 'judge' a movie by its "entertaintment value", that is silly. This movie is great and not boring for a second.
shareI was really hoping she'd die, too. I tend to enjoy films like this, but this one was just painful to sit through at times. If each act was trimmed by 10-15 minutes, it would have been wholly engrossing.
share"painful to sit through" is my take on fassbinder, he excelled at creating the most unbearably awkward and painful situations and dwelling in them with the camera
rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in.
Just another great Fassbinder film, seen on a recommendation. His movies may be an aquired taste for some, but they transport you into their world. This one hit home at the end. Maybe that's why an ex recommended it.[!]
shareThis one hit home at the end. Maybe that's why an ex recommended it.[!]Poor you . I do hope that you got over the ex. share
But it's that unbearable awkwardness and the length of time spent on them which makes Fassbinder's movies distinct.
Do The Mussolini! Headkick!
. . . he excelled at creating the most unbearably awkward and painful situations and dwelling in them with the cameraA bit like 'life', no?
<< he excelled at creating the most unbearably awkward and painful situations and dwelling in them with the camera >>
It's a very odd mood that's created...maybe kind of influenced by the Theatre of the Absurd, where it's aknowledged that things are a bit surreal and don't quite add up perfectly?
if you thought that petra was weak, pathetic or evil you simply did not understand the film.
sharei think she was not weak but she was surely a sadomasochist which can (in a way) potentially make her evil / pathetic for some viewers.
Denial is not just a river in Egypt but a frickin' ocean.
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it is Not entertaining but it is a very good piece of film making anyway
I give it a 7/10When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
There was nothing boring about this film and you obviously didn't get it: Petra did "die" in this film, just not in the way you'd wished for. I really enjoyed this film much more than I'd anticipated.
shareI can totally understand this feeling; I just saw it a the cinema and though I'd say it's one of Fassbinder's best (10/10, I adore him a lot), it was really exhausting and unpleasant to watch most of the time - but it has such an enormous depth, incredibly complex dialogue (I'm German and I can tell, the subtle rythm of the lines even is a class for itself and so is the content) and one of the best camera works of Michael Ballhaus ever. I wouldn't call it boring, merely exhaustable, painful, ugly, disturbing. And the acting... my oh my, what a Genius Fassbinder was.
shareShe got something worse than death, she ended up alone.
I don't see how something could be both boring and thoughtful.
Perhaps you meant challenging to watch?
shareOf course challenging to watch. You need to pay more attention than to most of Fassbinder's other films, really A LOT. And furthermore, you should be a little masochistic in order to "enjoy" it - the film hurts - it is so over-the-top cynical and cruel.
shareI didn't find it boring at all. Almost the whole movie is dialogue, pretty much a filmed play. However, the dialogue is meaningful and relevant, never boring, reminding me of Bergman's films, particularly "The Silence" and "Cries and Whispers".
What I did find it was depressing. This is probably the most depressing film I ever watched, even more so than any Bergman film I've watched. There are many similarities with some of Bergman's chamber films, it would be interesting to know if Bergman influenced Fassbinder at all.
Totally enjoyed this film.
I have no understanding of anyone who thought this over long, or boring. I was captivated from the first scene.
It ended way to soon for me also. I am fairly new to Fassbinder's work, and when I recently watched and loved Marie Braun, I decided to find more, especially with the lovely and talented Miss Hanna Schygulla. I went on to watch the other 2 of the BRD series and came to this one. I have to say that this one may rank even higher on my list than Maria Braun.
Did anyone else see a certain likeness in the scene where the close up of Petra looks old and haggard to that of Anne Bancroft in The Graduate?
Of course, now I need to find more of Margit's work. I adored her every scene.
I am with you, this is one of my favourite films of all time - beautifully shot and a masterpiece! the performances of the all-female cast are uniformly sensational,
shareAn intriguing character study. The use of mise en scene and cinematography were well-structured in emphasising its character study.
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".
I think its that there is such sparse dialogue at points it is almost like watching still pictures.
shareI don't see how something could be both boring and thoughtful.
You are ludicrous.
Petra showed no signs of being 'evil' in the film, nor did she deserve to die. You say you wanted her to suffer, yet she spends most of the film in a state of suffering -- what film did you watch?
The film is not boring in the slightest -- it is intense and gripping -- but your desire to see people die on screen as a form of entertainment probably lead you to interpret a minimalist chamber drama (and a truly brilliant one, at that) as dull.