Bolwieser (1977) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (writer)
Oskar Maria Graf (novel)

Release Date:

31 July 1977 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lackluster and plodding Bolweiser has the (mis)fortune to be married to the town's siren; his trusting...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Railway | Couple | Cuckold | Adultery

Cast

Elisabeth Trissenaar	...	Hanni Bolwieser
Kurt Raab	...	Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master
Bernhard Helfrich	...	Franz Merkl
Karl-Heinz von Hassel	...	Windegger
Volker Spengler	...	Mangst
Gustl Bayrhammer	...	Neidhard - Hanni's Father
Udo Kier	...	Schafftaler
Armin Meier	...	Scherber
Peter Kern	...	Treuberger
Willy Harlander	...	Stempflinger (as Willi Harlander)
Hannes Kaetner	...	Lederer
Doris Mattes	...	Zeugin
Lilo Pempeit	...	Frau Käser (as Liselotte Pempeit)
Elma Karlowa	...	Krankenschwester
Gerhard Zwerenz	...	Ferryman

Also Known As:

The Stationmaster's Wife

Runtime:

201 min (2 parts) | West Germany:112 min (theatrical version)

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Bavaria Atelier

Movie Connections:

Featured in Tod eines Weltstars (1994) (TV)

Soundtrack:

3rd Movement of the Divertimento No.17 in D-major K.334

My Introduction to Fassbinder

When I read about Fassbinder I heard that many of his films were about characters who were not well accepted into society. This analysis turned out to be a main theme of the The Stationmaster's Wife. A bleak film about the, stationmaster, Xaverl Bolweiser, and his insatiable wife, Hanni Bolweiser. Xaverl is a hard-working man in a Bavarian town and cannot stand to be away from his wife, Hanni. After watching La Bete Humaine, I suppose that it was common for train station workers to live very close to the station. Xaverl takes full advantage of this situation by constantly leaving his duty to check up on his wife. He loves his wife dearly, but he smothers her and therefore causes her blatant infidelity. Hanni finds pleasure elsewhere first with a butcher, who she is also loaning money to. And with the hairdresser. Xaverl's abandonment from society comes from the constant catcalling from his Bavarian neighbors. They make fun of him every time he goes out, but when he returns home his wife says that people are complaining that he never goes out. Xaverl mopes through his situation and is finally able to find some time alone in the end.

This is my introduction to Fassbinder, so there may be some knowledge from previous films that I need to read into this. New Yorker Video's DVD transfer was mediocre, but Fassbinder uses his modest budget to create some amazing shots. He makes use of mirrors and foreground objects to give depth to the production design and he knows how to project a deep sense of loss through storytelling. I was impressed with the film, but the poor DVD transfer hurts the overall emotional impact of the picture.