Fassbinder: The Life and Work of a Provocative Genius

by Christian Braad Thomsen

Rainer Werner Fassbinder is perhaps the most arresting and controversial film director of all time. In a career that lasted only 16 years, ending abruptly when he died of a drug overdose at age 36, Fassbinder wrote and directed 34 films and two lengthy television miniseries. He was also a prolific playwright and actor in other people's films. Comprehensive assessments are hard to come by, but this book, written by one of Fassbinder's friends, does an admirable job of covering the prolific director's career and analyzing all of his films, including the masterworks Effie Briest, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lola, Veronika Voss, and Berlin-Alexanderplatz. The book ends with an intriguing reassessment of Fassbinder's final movie, Querelle.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Biography, Unfinished

358 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Christian Braad Thomsen (f. 1940) er filminstruktør, filmproducent og debuterede som forfatter i 1971. Han er uddannet fra Den Danske Filmskole, har været direktør for Odense Film Festival og medlem af Statens Kunstfonds repræsentantskab. I 1991 kom han på Kulturministeriets livsvarige ydelse.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Swedish colleague who was considerably more into Fassbinder than I was lent me this interesting biography. And wow, if you think his movies are depressing, just wait until you get to his life. A couple of highlights to give you the feel of the thing:

- Fassbinder's influence on his regular cast members could reasonably be compared to that of a guru running a small cult. They would do absolutely anything for him. Early on in his career, money was tight; he'd sometimes send the girls out to work the streets, so that they'd have enough to plug the current hole in the budget. "But remember," he'd say as they left, "No German clients and no bourgeoisie. Only guest workers, Arabs if possible."

- Not surprisingly, the atmosphere in his circle was kind of intense. Screaming rows, mental breakdowns and suicide attempts were common occurrences. I was struck by the following exchange with one of his closer collaborators:

"You need to go to the psychiatric hospital to visit your friends!" yells Fassbinder.

"And you need to go to the cemetery to visit yours!" yells the other guy.

[Leftjab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really the move is to read this, the Robert Katz Love is Colder Than Death bio, and then Ian Penman’s Thousands of Mirrors analysis/personal reflection. This basically analyzes every Fassbinder project – something missing from Love is Colder Than Death which fixated on the personal life – and since Fassbinder was ALWAYS working, that one really is the bones of an apology BUT does explain some things about these works.

Penman’s would be read third – as its contemporary (Katz is from the 80s, this from the early 90s) and really gets into what it was like to follow Fassbinder when he was still alive from the viewer’s perspective. After reading this, of course I want to rewatch In a Year of 13 Moons (which I loved upon first viewing) but also The Third Generation, which Thomsen LOVED, but was (to quote Scorsese talking about this era of Fassbinder) over my head. I feel better equipped to go into The Third Generation. And I totally agree with Thomsen (and disagree with Penman!) that Veronika Voss is like a movie with all the entertainment removed. Sure, it’s brilliant and perceptive and great to talk/think about, but watching it is a slog.

And as I have completely been bitten by the Fassbinder bug, this is a must read. My landlord and I have already made our viewing plans to knock of the next few Fassbinders we haven’t watched. He wants to see Despair which is probably my least favorite – he might have to do that one on his own.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are movies I like much more than this author does: "The Marriage of Maria Braun," "Theatre in Trance," "Chinese Roulette"... There are also works I like infinitely less: "Effi Briest," "Martha," "Garbage, the City and Death"... But regardless of our difference of opinions, how nice to spend hours and hours talking -- in my head at least -- about R.W. Fassbinder with someone who shares my lifelong obsession. And having seen every film but "Women in New York" and "Wildwechsel" (a.k.a. "Jail Bait") at this point, I always felt engaged in this internal dialogue, defending Hanna Schygulla as an actor when need be and rolling my eyes at the virtues of "Whity." Please!

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Word association. When you hear the name Rainer Werner Fassbinder, what words come to mind?

Genius Creative Dictator Troubled Disturbed Workaholic Driven Talented Passionate

The possibilities are endless, too numerous to list. In Christian Braad Thomsen's Fassbinder: The Life And Work Of A Provocative Genius you will read an extremely comprehensive and exhausted biography of Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Thomsen, a close friend, tells of the life and times as well as diving into Fasbinder's work holding nothing back of this creative and controversial genius both in his personal and professional life.

We learn of Fassbinder's turbulent childhood, his homosexuality, his faux marriage, his work habits, his volatile, and painful relationships with his actors. More importantly Fassbinder's passion and obsession of cinema and theatre is explored in great detail. Thomsen cites Fassbinder's work along with analysis, beautifully presented and never boring or mundane. Well executed and appreciated by those that have not had the opportunity to view all of Fassbinder's work.

Theatre is also presented and extremely important since theatre was the catalyst for Fassbinder venturing him into film. Fassbinder stated "In theatre I always directed as if it were a film, and then shot the films as if it were theatre, I did that fairly determinedly." Fassbinder stated in regards to cinema "I would like to build a house with my films. Some are the cellar, others the walls and others again are the windows. But I hope that, in the end, it will be a house."

Fassbinder's doppelg�_nger is the core in much of his work, specifically with the use of mirrors, a metaphor representing the double nature of personalities, illusions separating reality from appearance. Examples of mirrors used in the films Ali: Fear Eats the Soul and Fox and his Friends.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul


Fox and his Friends


Quenelle, Fassbinder's final project the theme of the double is most present and noticeable. This last project has been considered to be his final testament - sex, and death are synonymous, constantly mirroring each other and becoming interchangeable values.

Obviously Fassbinder faced criticism and backlash, controversy never lacking. Domination and masochism familiar in many of his films. Feminists were disturbed with his film The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, feeling that women operated solely on the level of dependence and victimization. The homosexual community did not appreciate the vision presented between two men in the film Fox and his Friends. The militant left did not appreciate the portrayal of the left in the film Mother Kuster's Trip to Heaven. In his film Garbage, the City and Death he was accused of anti-Semitism.

Fassbinder's reasons by doubling the character with a plaster figure or a statute the dummie functions as projection surfaces for parts of the psyche, dreams, longings or how they show we treat one another - not as human beings with a soul/reason but as commodities. In The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant the doll replaces the lost lover, while her maid's make up turns her into a living doll, treated as such.

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant



Thomsen did a wonderful job with this book, my only criticism is the Freudian interpretations the author referenced in order to appreciate Fassbinder's films, which isn't necessary per Thomsen. Excessive Freudian symbolism was used throughout the book towards Fassbinder's films and became annoying after some time. The book was solid without the Freudian information, totally unnecessary.

Fassbinder:: The Life And Work Of A Provocative Genius is well done, detailed and interesting if not thorough. I have nothing to compare this biography with other writings on Fassbinder with the exception of articles, so keep that in mind. I highly suggests this work for cinema buffs, film students or Fassbinder lover or haters, very informative and educational.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, so much talent, promise and controversy gone at 37 years young leaving an amazing legacy behind.

[Raf Linmans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers an interesting critical overview of Fassbinders oeuvre, stage- and TV-work included.

[Bruno Dal Molin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and thorough book on the life and work of the great German filmmaker, Fassbinder. This immensely productive and self-destructive artist had a very important role to play in post-war Germany, and this book helps illuminate that, as well as peculiarities about of each of his major works - be them in theater, TV or cinema.

The book expounds on how much Fassbinder makes use of Freud and Marx in his movies, exploring character’s unconscious desires and class struggles, as well as Christian myths. His anarchistic ideas are also brought to the fore, elucidating which character in a given movie can be seen to be a mouthpiece for the director.

The only real problem I have with the book is regarding the overwhelming emphasis in plot, in each film analysis. Narratological criticism is a major component of the work, which leaves out aesthetic considerations to a large extent. That’s very unfortunate, given how innovative and bold Fassbinder’s cinema is in that regard.

Nonetheless, this is one of the classic books on the artist, and as such is an indispensable resource for German cinema and 20th century culture.

I’ve seen about 10 films by Fassbinder, some were great, others ok, but no one was uninteresting. This is undoubtedly a valuable companion for one to navigate the filmmaker’s vast corpus of work. It left me eager to see his Berlin Alexanderplatz, deemed by the author to be Fassbinder’s greatest achievement.