6.7/10
488
4 user 18 critic

Baal (1970)

Not Rated | | Drama | TV Movie 7 January 1970
Baal Poster
Baal explores the cult of the genius, an anti-heroic figure who chooses to be a social outcast and live on the fringe of bourgeois morality.

Director:

Volker Schlöndorff

Writers:

Bertolt Brecht (play), Volker Schlöndorff (teleplay)

Stars:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Sigi Graue, Margarethe von Trotta | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Photos

See all 9 photos »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rainer Werner Fassbinder ... Baal
Sigi Graue Sigi Graue ... Ekart
Margarethe von Trotta ... Sophie
Günther Neutze Günther Neutze ... Mech
Hanna Schygulla ... Luise
Marian Seidowsky ... Johannes
Irmgard Paulis Irmgard Paulis ... Johanna
Wilmut Borell Wilmut Borell ... Mjurk
Christine Schuberth ... Stripperin Sabitka (as Christine Schubert)
Walter Sedlmayr Walter Sedlmayr ... Anwalt Pschierer
Günther Kaufmann ... Kutscher Orgauer
Miriam Spoerri Miriam Spoerri ... Emilie Mech
Johannes Buzalski ... Penner bei Prozession
Carla Egerer ... Junges Weib (as Carla Aulaulu)
Michael Gempart ... Mann mit Kamm
See full cast »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
The American Soldier (1970)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Ricky is a cold-blooded U.S. German contract killer. After serving in Viet Nam, he returns to his home town of Munich to eliminate a few problem crooks for three renegade cops. He inspects ... See full summary »

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Karl Scheydt, Elga Sorbas, Jan George
Next »
The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Hans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla
Next »
Baal (TV Movie 1982)
Drama | Musical
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Baal is a young amoral rebellious poetic genius who, after a short and eventful life of debauchery, betrayal and violence, is about to cut his ties to the world and meet his doom. A high society party is where the end begins.

Director: Alan Clarke
Stars: David Bowie, Robert Austin, Jonathan Kent
Next »
Love Is Colder Than Death (1969)
Comedy | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

Unusual gangster story, in which a small-time pimp Franz, who is torn between his mistress and Bruno the gangster sent after him by the syndicate that he has refused to join. Things are ... See full summary »

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Ulli Lommel, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake
Next »
Germany in Autumn (1978)
Documentary | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

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: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Alf Brustellin, and 8 more credits »
Stars: Wolfgang Bächler, Heinz Bennent, Wolf Biermann
Next »
A Free Woman (1972)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

A divorced woman in her thirties fights a losing battle in Munich to attain belated self-fulfillment. The die is cast in a briskly impersonal society geared to male dominance and early training for career women.

Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Stars: Maria Brunner, Wolfgang Bächler, Ute Ellin
Next »
Eight Hours Don't Make a Day (TV Mini-Series 1972)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

The young toolmaker Jochen fights with his colleagues to a performance bonus. He gets to know the girl Marion. For both, it is love at first sight.

Stars: Gottfried John, Hanna Schygulla, Luise Ullrich
Next »
Morals of Ruth Halbfass (1972)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

Ruth Halbfass has been married to the industrialist Erich Halbfass for sixteen years in a loveless marriage and they have a fourteen year-old teenage daughter, Aglaia. Ruth has a love ... See full summary »

Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Stars: Senta Berger, Peter Ehrlich, Helmut Griem
Next »
Chinese Roulette (1976)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Both the parents of a young teen who walks with crutches, goes on each their secret meeting with lovers, both surprising each other at the family's county home. The daughter arrives and initiates a guessing game of "Chinese roulette".

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Anna Karina, Margit Carstensen, Brigitte Mira
Next »
Coup de Grâce (1976)
Drama | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

A countess' unrequited love for an army officer leads to disaster.

Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Stars: Matthias Habich, Margarethe von Trotta, Rüdiger Kirschstein
Next »
Gods of the Plague (1970)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

A man is released from prison and finds the society on the outside less than appealing. With several women as well as the police on his tail, he sets out to find an old friend.

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Hanna Schygulla, Margarethe von Trotta, Harry Baer
Next »
Katzelmacher (1969)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Jorgos, a migrant worker from Greece, joins a group of young people in Munich usually hanging around. This foreigner incites hostility and jealousy among them, and he is insulted as a "... See full summary »

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Stars: Hanna Schygulla, Lilith Ungerer, Rudolf Waldemar Brem
Edit

Storyline

Baal explores the cult of the genius, an anti-heroic figure who chooses to be a social outcast and live on the fringe of bourgeois morality.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

rudeness | poem | alcohol | violence against women | dying young | See All (45) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The widow of Bertolt Brecht, Helene Weigel, was extremely unsatisfied with this adaptation. On her behalf, the film was removed from public release. Only in 2011 the granddaughter of Brecht allowed the film to be restored and publicly shown (the restored version was released in 2014). See more »

Connections

Referenced in Acting with Fassbinder: Margarethe von Trotta on Baal (2018) See more »

User Reviews

 
The antithesis of high-budget computer-generated videogame-influenced movies!
11 October 2018 | by story@well.com – See all my reviews

To me, Schlöndiorff's "Baal" is the greatest film of both S. as director and Fassbinder as actor. Also, an astonishingly accurate film version of Brecht's early play. What does it say, and what does it mean? I'm not at all ready to judge. Apparently Brecht's widow opposed the release for about 50 years ... which is as inexplicble as Berg's widow opposing that of the magnificent third act of "Lulu". Thank you all so much.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 4 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

7 January 1970 (West Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

バール See more »

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hessischer Rundfunk (HR), Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Hallelujah Film See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Free Movies and TV Shows You Can Watch Now

On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!

A League of Their Own
Midnight in Paris
Little Women
Gattaca
Funny Girl

Browse free movies and TV series


Clear your history

Recently Viewed