The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)

A World War II widow seeks to adjust to life in postwar Germany.

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 & 4 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

Details

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #204.

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Quotes

Maria Braun: I don't know a thing about business, but I do know what German women want. You might even say I'm an expert on it.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Featured in Century of Cinema: Die Nacht der Regisseure (1995)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Allegory

While it's never less than interesting, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's allegory about the post-war economic German Miracle is somewhat slow and stifling, designed to constantly remind the viewer that an allegory is indeed what it is and to discount the notions of love that the writers (there are several, including Fassbinder) push to the fore. Hanna Schygulla is good as the lead symbol, a war bride whose calculated sexual aggressiveness (a symbol of West Germany's rapaciousness) brings her to prominence in industry while she pines for her husband, who is imprisoned for murder. The points Fassbinder's trying to make are a bit obtuse and perhaps not designed for American viewers (those are his prerogatives, after all) but the early scenes of the country immediately after the war are fascinating and he's aided immensely by the great Michael Ballhaus' restless camera. After prosperity begins, Fassbinder relies more on words and the visuals become more traditional and blander and it's also here where the melodrama escalates, sometimes pretentiously.