Germany in Autumn (1978)
"Deutschland im Herbst" (original title)

Germany in Autumn does not have a plot per se; it mixes documentary footage, along with standard movie scenes, to give the audience the mood of Germany during the late 1970s. The movie ... See full summary »

Directors:

Alf Brustellin, Rainer Werner Fassbinder,

Writers:

Alf Brustellin, Heinrich Böll (segment),

Stars:

Wolfgang Bächler, Heinz Bennent, Wolf Biermann

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wolfgang Bächler
Heinz Bennent	...	TV committee member
Wolf Biermann	...	Himself
Joachim Bißmeier	...	(as Joachim Bissmeyer)
Caroline Chaniolleau
Hans Peter Cloos	...	Foreigner
Otto Friebel
Hildegard Friese
Michael Gahr
Vadim Glowna	...	Freiermuth
Helmut Griem	...	Mahler's interviewer
Hannelore Hoger	...	Gabi Teichert
Petra Kiener
Dieter Laser	...	TV committee member
Horst Mahler	...	Himself

Storyline

Germany in Autumn does not have a plot per se; it mixes documentary footage, along with standard movie scenes, to give the audience the mood of Germany during the late 1970s. The movie covers the two month time period during 1977 when a businessman was kidnapped, and later murdered, by the left-wing terrorists known as the RAF-Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Faction). The businessman had been kidnapped in an effort to secure the release of the orginal leaders of the RAF, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. When the kidnapping effort and a plane hijacking effort failed, the three most prominent leaders of the RAF, Andreas Baader, Gudrun Enslin, and Jean-Carl Raspe, all committed suicide in prison. It has become an article of faith within the left-wing community that these three were actually murdered by the state. The movie has several vignettes, including an extended set of scenes with the famous director Rainer Werner Fassbinder discussing his feelings about Germany's political ...

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Plot Keywords:

raf | 1970s | funeral | autumn | masturbation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

17 March 1978 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Germany in Autumn

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmverlag der Autoren, ABS Filmproduktion, Tango Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min 134 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Deutschland 09 - 13 kurze Filme zur Lage der Nation (2009)

User Reviews

Fassbinder's Masterpiece

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, possibly the greatest of all filmmakers, presents one of his major achievements to start off this topical omnibus. Portraying his own life as the stuff of cinema, Fassbinder gives us the rare film where players play themselves and the situations seem entirely believable. Featuring Fassbinder, his lover Armin Mier, and his Mother, all in uncompromising self-portrayals. This is Fassbinder's most radical and important work.

I must admit I have not yet made it to the later portions of Germany in Autumn, as I am so taken by Fassbinder's segment, which is the first after a short intro, that I have not been able to move on to the next without distraction. However, If you have any interest in Fassbinder, or Germany, or Cinema, I would highly recommend hunting down this rarely-seen treasure.