Fassbinder on Melodrama

Director

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Tagline

Three Films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Synopsis

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the enfant terrible of the New German Cinema, drew much of his inspiration from the work of his idol, the German-born king of Hollywood melodrama, Douglas Sirk. Each of these three films is centred on a woman who is under pressure from those around her to conform, and Fassbinder adopts the stylized acting and framing techniques of the 1950s melodrama to explore the frailty of the human condition and the strength of the individual in the face of these oppressive forces.

Effi Briest
Naïve, youthful Effi is forced to marry the much older and well-connected Baron von Instetten. But after meeting the dashing and handsome Major Crampas, Effi finds herself torn between passion and respectability.

Martha
When Martha falls for the charming Helmut, she is completely unaware of the drastic extent to which his sadistic desires will alter her life.

Fear of Fear
While pregnant with her second child, Margot experiences crippling anxiety, which she fears will drive her insane. Desperate to maintain her sanity, Margot begins to rely on a dangerous cocktail of cognac and Valium.