Die Ehe der Maria Braun (1979)

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (dialogue)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (story)

Release Date:

23 March 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Marriage Of Maria Braun. . . the marriage lasted no longer than half a day and a full night.

Plot:

This movie follows the life of a young German woman, married to a soldier in the waning days of WWII...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Fascism | German Soldier | Homecoming Soldier | Male Frontal Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 12 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hanna Schygulla	...	Maria Braun
Klaus Löwitsch	...	Hermann Braun
Ivan Desny	...	Karl Oswald
Gisela Uhlen	...	Mother
Elisabeth Trissenaar	...	Betti Klenze
Gottfried John	...	Willi Klenze
Hark Bohm	...	Senkenberg
George Eagles	...	Bill (as George Byrd)
Claus Holm	...	Doctor
Günter Lamprecht	...	Hans Wetzel (as Günther Lamprecht)
Anton Schiersner	...	Grandpa Berger
Lilo Pempeit	...	Frau Ehmke
Sonja Neudorfer	...	Red Cross nurse
Volker Spengler	...	Train conductor
Isolde Barth	...	Vevi

Also Known As:

The Marriage of Maria Braun (USA)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA | Finland:K-12 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2004) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Singapore:R(A) | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Albatros Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Rainer Werner Fassbinder]Peddler who sells Maria the black dress

Quotes:

[Maria Braun visits the first-class section of a train]
Maria Braun: Ever notice how tiny the rest rooms are? I thought they'd be bigger in first class - fatter people.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Kinomagazin: Eine deutsche Geschichte - Rainer Werner Fassbinder und sein Film 'Die Ehe der Maria Braun'" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Moonlight Serenade

Maria and Her Men

Sensual and tough Maria Braun. (Hanna Schygula) marries a soldier in the middle of World War II and spends a half of day and the whole night with him. That's how long her marriage lasts before she loses him to the war and then to prison. She carries on with her life, becomes a successful businesswoman being not only sensual but intelligent, ambitious, and willing to use sex whenever or wherever necessary: "I don't know a thing about business, but I do know what German women want. You might even say I'm an expert on it". While climbing up to the success she always remembers her husband, Hermann (her man) and convinces herself that whatever she does – is for him, for their future happy life together. "Maria Braun"'s style reminds much of melodramas by Fassbinder's favorite Hollywood director, Douglas Sirk and offers a glimpse of the loss and survival in postwar Germany. Hanna Schygula literally shines in every scene of the movie and she is fantastic.

8.5/10