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Martha

  • TV Movie
  • 19741974
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
DramaThriller
After the death of her abusive father, the lonely librarian Martha marries an equally vile businessman - Helmut. The cruel and torturous nature of their relationship leads Martha to believe ... Read allAfter the death of her abusive father, the lonely librarian Martha marries an equally vile businessman - Helmut. The cruel and torturous nature of their relationship leads Martha to believe Helmut might be trying to kill her.After the death of her abusive father, the lonely librarian Martha marries an equally vile businessman - Helmut. The cruel and torturous nature of their relationship leads Martha to believe Helmut might be trying to kill her.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Writers
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder(uncredited)
    • Cornell Woolrich(story "For the Rest of Her Life")
  • Stars
    • Margit Carstensen
    • Karlheinz Böhm
    • Barbara Valentin
  • Director
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Writers
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder(uncredited)
    • Cornell Woolrich(story "For the Rest of Her Life")
  • Stars
    • Margit Carstensen
    • Karlheinz Böhm
    • Barbara Valentin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 17User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos76

    Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Karlheinz Böhm, and Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm and Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm and Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm, Margit Carstensen, and Günter Lamprecht in Martha (1974)
    Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm and Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm and Gisela Fackeldey in Martha (1974)
    Karlheinz Böhm and Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)
    Margit Carstensen and Gisela Fackeldey in Martha (1974)
    Margit Carstensen in Martha (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Margit Carstensen
    Margit Carstensen
    • Martha Salomon, née Heyer
    Karlheinz Böhm
    Karlheinz Böhm
    • Helmut Salomon
    Barbara Valentin
    Barbara Valentin
    • Marianne
    Peter Chatel
    Peter Chatel
    • Kaiser
    Gisela Fackeldey
    • Mother Heyer
    Adrian Hoven
    Adrian Hoven
    • Father Heyer
    Ortrud Beginnen
    • Erna
    Wolfgang Schenck
    Wolfgang Schenck
    • Meister
    Günter Lamprecht
    • Dr. Herbert Salomon
    El Hedi ben Salem
    El Hedi ben Salem
    • Hotel guest
    Rudolf Lenz
    • Porter
    Kurt Raab
    Kurt Raab
    • Secretary - German embassy
    Elma Karlowa
    Elma Karlowa
    • Waitress
    Heide Simon
    • Nurse
    Lilo Pempeit
      Ingrid Caven
      Ingrid Caven
      • Ilse
      Michael Ballhaus
      Michael Ballhaus
      • Restaurant guest flirting with Martha
      • (uncredited)
      Peter Berling
      Peter Berling
      • Taxi Driver
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
      • Writers
        • Rainer Werner Fassbinder(uncredited)
        • Cornell Woolrich(story "For the Rest of Her Life")
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Because of legal reasons, the film wasn't shown for over 20 Years. Cornell Woolrich right holders claimed that the film has a lot similarities to one of his novels. Fassbinder replied, that he first read the story after filming was complete. Nevertheless Woolrich got a writing-credit. The first German screening of a restored edition was in November 1997.
      • Quotes

        Helmut Salomon: [after forcing his wife to read an obscure book on dam technology and listen to his favorite music] See, Martha? Those things can be fun.

      • Connections
        Featured in Fassbinder in Hollywood (2002)
      • Soundtracks
        Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
        Composed by Max Bruch

        Performed by Isaac Stern

      User reviews17

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      8/10
      Soap Opera with style
      A great movie, made in a special way. Not only was it made for TV, it has the style of a soap-opera. Those who have seen it must have noticed that there are a number of "episodes", separated by a gradual darkening of the screen (till completely black, then lightening up again). The acting, the decor and so on are pure soap-opera. Some reviewers have seen a touch or two of Douglas Sirk, but there's more than that to it: when Martha gives her German address in the embassy, the name of the street is "Douglas Sirk"! Pure melodrama, but with great results. Fassbinder gives the movie the necessary pace to portray a convincing tragedy resulting from fatality mixed with individual characteristics. The final words appropriately are "When God takes a step, man cannot change it".
      helpful•5
      0
      • anordall
      • Nov 24, 2014

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • May 28, 1974 (West Germany)
      • Country of origin
        • West Germany
      • Languages
        • German
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • Марта
      • Filming locations
        • Constance, Baden-Württemberg, Germany(Martha and M. Kaiser by the lake)
      • Production companies
        • Pro-ject Filmproduktion
        • Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

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      • Budget
        • DEM 500,000 (estimated)
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 56 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.33 : 1

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