Sheer Madness (1983)
Heller Wahn (original title)

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Hanna Schygulla	...	Olga
	Angela Winkler	...	Ruth
	Peter Striebeck	...	Franz
	Christine Fersen	...	Erika
	Franz Buchrieser	...	Dieter
	Wladimir Yordanoff	...	Alexaj
	Agnes Fink	...	Ruth's mother
	Felix Moeller	...	Christof
	Jochen Striebeck	...	Bruno
	Therese Affolter	...	Renate
	Werner Eichhorn	...	Schlesinger
	Karl Striebeck	...	Bruno's father
	Peter Aust
	Helga Ballhaus
	Selda Bondy

Storyline

Olga and Ruth become friends. Olga is independent, separated from her husband, living with an immigrant pianist, and teaching feminist literature. Ruth is withdrawn, a painter, possibly mentally ill. Ruth dreams in black and white, sometimes of her suicide. Olga lectures on a 19th-century writer, von Günderrode, a suicide after the breakup of her intense friendship with Bettina Brentano. Ruth's husband Franz encourages the women's friendship, then, as Olga draws Ruth out and the friendship deepens, he becomes jealous. After the women travel to Egypt, Franz has a tirade. Ruth seems crushed between her husband and her friend, and how she responds is the film's climax. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>  

Details

Company Credits

Technical Specs

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