The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

Maria marries Hermann Braun in the last days of World War II, only for him to go missing in the war. Alone, Maria puts to use her beauty and ambition in order to find prosperity during Germany's "economic miracle" of the 1950s.

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Pea Fröhlich (screenplay), Peter Märthesheimer (screenplay)

Stars:

Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch, Ivan Desny

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

This movie follows the life of a young German woman, married to a soldier in the waning days of WWII. Fassbinder has tried to show the gritty life after the end of WWII and the turmoil of the people trapped in its wake.

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | post world war two germany | new german cinema | bar hostess | west germany | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was chosen by Premiere magazine as one of the "100 Movies That Shook the World" in the October 1998 issue. The list ranked the most "daring movies ever made."

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Quotes

Mrs. Ehmke: He wants to talk to you.
Maria Braun: I said I wasn't here.
Mrs. Ehmke: (speaking into phone) I'm sorry, she's out of the office.
Maria Braun: I don't want to go to lunch.
Mrs. Ehmke: (speaking into phone) She doesn't want to go to lunch - oh, I'm sorry - Hello? Mr. Oswald?
[Mrs. Ehmke hangs up the phone and starts to cry. Maria Braun starts to laugh]
Maria Braun: What a riot! That's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Stop crying now. Call him back and tell him I'm possessed by the devil. He can meet the devil for lunch at 1:00 if he wants.

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Crazy Credits

After the introductory credits there is a line: 'fuer Peter Zadek'.

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Connections

Featured in Il était une fois...: Le mariage de Maria Braun (2012)

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Soundtracks

In The Mood
Written by Wingy Manone, Andy Razaf and Joe Garland

User Reviews

Post-War Germany Up Close and Personal

Having heard of this film for years, I didn't see it until 2003! Perhaps it's just as well that I waited. It is one of the finest films of its type -- post WW2 in Germany -- that I've ever seen; perhaps on balance the finest.

It seems to me that rather than being a cynical portrayal of those difficult years, it is more truthful and revelatory in a deep way. I imagine that no one other than those who lived then can begin to tell the story, which is why Fassbinder has tried on our behalf -- to try to convey to us the angst, the frustrations, the sadness, the insanity, the querulousness, the fragile hope of that era.

I find the story very sad, of course, because in my early-21st century psyche I'm more tuned into the love story than I am the tale of the sociology and social psychology of an era that occurred when I was very young. It seems to me that if one views the characters as representatives of some of the major "world views" obtaining during the reconstruction period, one sees a few of the many different human reactions there can be to such an experience: Many feel burned out and can't feel hope any longer; others, like Maria, feel there is at least money and position to be gained under the new dispensation; some simply don't care; others try to feed off the experience without contributing; and so on and so forth.

It also occurred to me that, at age 60, I may be in a position to appreciate this film more, and certainly to be more understanding of and sympathetic with the characters/types portrayed. I found each of them to have an important story to tell, whether it was a "good" story or not. And the character of the Black US Army Sergeant, while tragic at the end, was itself an essay in human relations that has to embarrass most Americans -- the fleeting moments when he and Maria found joy and pleasant times together were just wonderful to behold, and an indictment of our sad history in that regard.

View it and see what you think!

Details

Official Sites:

Criterion [United States] Official site

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German English French

Release Date:

23 March 1979 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM1,975,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,623, 16 February 2003

Gross USA:

$8,144

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,061

Company Credits

Production Co:

Albatros Filmproduktion, Fengler Films, Filmverlag der Autoren

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1