Querelle (1982)

French sailor Querelle arrives in Brest and starts frequenting a strange whorehouse. He discovers that his brother Robert is the lover of the lady owner, Lysiane. Here, you can play dice ... See full summary »

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Jean Genet (novel), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (screenplay),

Stars:

Brad Davis, Franco Nero, Jeanne Moreau

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Davis	...	Querelle
Franco Nero	...	Lieutenant Seblon
Jeanne Moreau	...	Lysiane
Laurent Malet	...	Roger Bataille
Hanno Pöschl	...	Robert / Gil
Günther Kaufmann	...	Nono
Burkhard Driest	...	Mario
Roger Fritz	...	Marcellin
Dieter Schidor	...	Vic Rivette
Natja Brunckhorst	...	Paulette
Robert van Ackeren	...	Betrunkener Legionär
Werner Asam	...	Arbeiter
Isolde Barth	...	Mädchen
Axel Bauer	...	Arbeiter
Neil Bell	...	Theo

Storyline

French sailor Querelle arrives in Brest and starts frequenting a strange whorehouse. He discovers that his brother Robert is the lover of the lady owner, Lysiane. Here, you can play dice with Nono, Lysiane's husband : if you win, you are allowed to make love with Lysiane, if you lose, you have to make love with Nono... Querelle loses on purpose...

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Plot Keywords:

sailor | brest | betrayal | actor playing multiple roles | gay sex | 

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Taglines:

It will take you into a surreal world of passion and sexuality, further than most would dare to go. [Video Australia]

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

West Germany France

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

Querelle: A Film About Jean Genet's 'Querelle de Brest'

Filming Locations:

CCC-Atelier, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 4,400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Planet Film, Albatros Filmproduktion, Gaumont

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Selected for the 1982 Venice Film Festival. That year, the Golden Lion for best film went to 'Wim Wender''s The State of Things much to the disgust of Marcel Carné. He withdrew from President of the Jury after releasing the following statement, "I would love to make a personal statement. While being President of the Jury, I would love to express my disappointment in not having been able to convince my colleagues to place R.W. Fassbinder's "Querelle" among the winners. As a matter of fact, I've found myself alone in defending the Movie. Nevertheless, I keep on thinking that, although controversial, R.W. Fassbinder final movie, want it or not, love it or hate it, will one day find its place in the history of cinema." The statement appears at the beginning of Querelle videotapes and DVDs in Italy.

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Quotes

Querelle: I'm no fairy!

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Connections

Edited into Spisok korabley (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Each Man Kills The Things He Loves"
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Oscar Wilde
Music by Peer Raben
Performed by Jeanne Moreau

User Reviews

Problematic Final Work

A very difficult film, for many reasons. As a source novel, Genet's 'Querelle' presents a challenge for any adaptation but as this is R.W. Fassbinder's final work, one is compelled to ignore one's initial (poor) response and dig for signs of the vision seen elsewhere in his cannon.

This is a film that unrelentingly refuses to let the viewer in. Narrative is piled upon narrative which is further punctuated by Brechtian title cards containing quotes from a variety of sources (including, of course, Genet's novel). The high stylisation of setting and performance is deliberately off putting and distancing. In this world of almost exclusive homosexual desire, women are severely marginalised which leaves the great Jeanne Moreau with little to do other than warble a rather ridiculous (and ridiculously catchy) pop ditty that uses Oscar Wilde's 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' for lyrics. Here, choice of sexuality is symbolic for how one stands in opposition to social rules and true fulfilment and depth of being comes only in humility and, ultimately, humiliation. Of course, much of this overtly gay posturing can be seen simply as high camp and add an undeniable veneer of silliness which is, quite frankly, hard to shake off.

However, this is a deeply serious film. Maybe Fassbinder was simply looking to upset as many people as he could and the whole point is to alienate the viewer as much as possible, either into anger or submission. It's hard to fully know what to make of 'Querelle' but either way, although stunningly lit, it has little of the swagger or movement of his best work and comes across as rather staid and inert. But, again, possibly that's the point. Confusion and denial as to individual identity leads to frustration and random acts of violence (if only to oneself) and self imploding inertia. It's hard to criticise a film that is deliberate about these points but, ultimately, it is equally hard to like and finding a place for it is no easy task. Possibly a work to admire and provoke rather than one to enjoy.