Review of Martha

Fassbinder made films on unusual topics--this one on unhappy marriages based on Cornell Woolrich's story "For the rest of her life". (Another Woolrich tale was the basis of Hitchcock's famous film "Rear Window'; like Hitchcock, Fassbinder essentially relied on existing novel/short stories rather than original stories written by himself). The main tale is of Martha (Margit Carstensen) and Helmut Karlheinz Bohm). The supplementary tale is of Martha's parents involving her mother who is on sleeping pills and addicted to liquor for 20 years, though outwardly loving her rich and cultured husband. The husbands in both marriages are cultured, desirable and caring. The wives seem to be driven mad by their outwardly wonderful loving husbands. The film includes an unusual situation where a man proposes to his future wife to get a positive response: when she feeling sick and has just thrown up!!!

The film may not be as sophisticated as "Querelle" but is notable for the performances of Ms Carstensen and Mr Boehm. Ms Carstensen came from stage acting to cinema and her capabilities are evident in the closeups. Mr Boehm was an unusual actor capable of playing positive roles in family films such as "The Wonderful world of Brothers Grimm" (1962) and darker roles such as this one. Another highlight of this film is the late cinematographer Michael Ballhaus whose camerawork is a treat to watch in this film as he was in the German films "Summer guests" (76) and several of Fassbinder's films.

(review written after second viewing, with a gap of 40 years in between)