New German Cinema
New German Cinema (Neuer Deutscher Film) was a continuation of the Young German Cinema, but with a more radical edge, as inspired by the student revolts of 1968. The movement was highly amorphous, and although most directors practiced critical political cinema, notable exceptions exist with directors Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders.
Directors such as Alexander Kluge engaged in "political modernism" and worked in a collage form, often alternating Documentary and fiction footage. Political modernism was continued by husband and wife duo Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet, who frequently worked in minimalism (although they occasionally employed the collage form). Hans-Jürgen Syberberg was the most extreme, and worked in monumental tableaux while making grand theatrical expositions of German historical figures. All of these film-makers were strongly influenced by the writings of Bertolt Brecht.
In its more mainstream wing, Volker Schlöndorff found success with films like Die Blechtrommel [The Tin Drum] (1979). Working with wife Margarethe von Trotta, he applied political commentary to conventional narratives in works like Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum [The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum] (1975), which examines West German terrorism and the print media.
The Arbeiterfilm and Heimatfilm genres were popular among audiences in the 1970s, as were the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, particularly Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant [The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant] (1972) and Angst essen Seele auf [Ali: Fear Eats the Soul] (1974). His work stands out amongst the New German Cinema directors in his rejection of Brecht. He instead embraced Melodrama and drew heavily from Hollywood director Douglas Sirk, whilst claiming to want the audience to "feel and think". His films are also famous for their examinations of power structures and group dynamics.
Throughout its existence, the New German Cinema largely moved from radically political to more politically reformist. Fassbinder - who started out by adapting Brecht - exemplifies this, as does the anthology Deutschland im Herbst [Germany in Autumn] (1978) which came out toward the end of the movement. The movement is said to have ended either in the late 1970s, or with Fassbinder's death in 1982.
Directors such as Alexander Kluge engaged in "political modernism" and worked in a collage form, often alternating Documentary and fiction footage. Political modernism was continued by husband and wife duo Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet, who frequently worked in minimalism (although they occasionally employed the collage form). Hans-Jürgen Syberberg was the most extreme, and worked in monumental tableaux while making grand theatrical expositions of German historical figures. All of these film-makers were strongly influenced by the writings of Bertolt Brecht.
In its more mainstream wing, Volker Schlöndorff found success with films like Die Blechtrommel [The Tin Drum] (1979). Working with wife Margarethe von Trotta, he applied political commentary to conventional narratives in works like Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum [The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum] (1975), which examines West German terrorism and the print media.
The Arbeiterfilm and Heimatfilm genres were popular among audiences in the 1970s, as were the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, particularly Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant [The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant] (1972) and Angst essen Seele auf [Ali: Fear Eats the Soul] (1974). His work stands out amongst the New German Cinema directors in his rejection of Brecht. He instead embraced Melodrama and drew heavily from Hollywood director Douglas Sirk, whilst claiming to want the audience to "feel and think". His films are also famous for their examinations of power structures and group dynamics.
Throughout its existence, the New German Cinema largely moved from radically political to more politically reformist. Fassbinder - who started out by adapting Brecht - exemplifies this, as does the anthology Deutschland im Herbst [Germany in Autumn] (1978) which came out toward the end of the movement. The movement is said to have ended either in the late 1970s, or with Fassbinder's death in 1982.
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- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiRuy GuerraHelena RojoIn the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiClaudia CardinaleJosé LewgoyThe story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of a jungle.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsBruno S.Eva MattesClemens ScheitzIn Berlin, an alcoholic man, recently released from prison, joins his elderly friend and a prostitute in a determined dream to leave Germany and seek a better life in Wisconsin.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsBruno S.Walter LadengastBrigitte MiraA young man named Kaspar Hauser suddenly appears in Nuremberg in 1828, barely able to talk or walk, and bearing a strange note.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsVolker SpenglerIngrid CavenGottfried JohnA transgender woman tries to salvage something from the wreckage love has made of her life by confronting her anguished past, hoping to find ultimate acceptance among former acquaintances and herself.
- StarsKlaus LöwitschBarbara ValentinMascha RabbenSomewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His successor Dr. Fred Stiller experiences odd phenomena. A good friend, Guenther Lause, disappears in the middle of a conversation and a week later nobody has ever heard of him. And those fits of dizzyness - Stiller cannot believe himself to be fool. There has to be an explanation for all this. Could Simulacron have something to do with it?
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsBrigitte MiraEl Hedi ben SalemBarbara ValentinA lonely widow meets a much younger Moroccan worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking buddies.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsRüdiger VoglerHanns ZischlerLisa KreuzerA traveling projection-equipment mechanic works in Western Germany along the East-German border, visiting worn-out theatres. He meets with a depressed young man whose marriage has just broken up, and the two decide to travel together.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsYella RottländerRüdiger VoglerLisa KreuzerA German journalist is saddled with a nine-year-old girl after encountering her mother at a New York airport.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsMargit CarstensenHanna SchygullaKatrin SchaakeA troubled fashion designer strikes up a romance with a much younger woman.
- DirectorHans-Jürgen SyberbergStarsHeinz SchubertPeter KernHellmut LangeDirector Hans-Jurgen Syberberg examines the rise and fall of the Third Reich in this brooding seven-hour masterpiece, which incorporates puppetry, rear-screen projection, and a Wagnerian score into a singular epic vision. Syberberg, who grew up under Nazi tyranny, ruminates on good and evil and the rest of humanity's complicity in the horrors of the holocaust.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsFini StraubingerM. BaaskeElsa FehrerThrough examining Fini Straubinger, an old woman who has been deaf and blind since adolescence, and her work on behalf of other deaf and blind people, this film shows how the deaf and blind struggle to understand and accept a world from which they are almost wholly isolated.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiIsabelle AdjaniBruno GanzCount Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsRainer Werner FassbinderPeter ChatelKarlheinz BöhmA suggestible working-class innocent wins the lottery but lets himself be taken advantage of by his bourgeois new boyfriend and his circle of materialistic friends.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsMargit CarstensenKarlheinz BöhmBarbara ValentinAfter 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.
- DirectorHans-Jürgen SyberbergStarsEdith CleverMartin SperrRobert LloydRichard Wagner's last opera has remained controversial since its first performance for its unique, and, for some, unsavory blending of religious and erotic themes and imagery. Based on one of the medieval epic romances of King Arthur and the search for the holy grail (the chalice touched by the lips of Christ at the last supper), it recounts over three long acts how a "wild child" unwittingly invades the sacred precincts of the grail, fulfilling a prophecy that only such a one can save the grail's protectors from a curse fallen upon them. Interpreters of the work have found everything from mystical revelation to proto-fascist propaganda in it. Hans-Jurgen Syberberg's production doesn't avoid either aspect, but tries synthesize them by seeking their roots in the divided soul of Wagner himself. The action unfolds on a craggy landscape which turns out to be a gigantic enlargement of the composer's death mask, among deliberately tatty theatrical devices: puppets, scale models, magic-lantern projections. The eponymous hero is sung by the specified tenor voice (Reiner Goldberg) but mimed on screen by a male and a female performer alternately, reflecting what the director takes to be the creator's own sexual conflicts. Syberberg's pacing, dictated by the majestic pace of Wagner's score, is slow, but enlivened by constant subtle shifts in point of view, and memorable performances by actress Edith Clever as the villainess/heroine Kundry (sung by Yvonne Minton), orchestra conductor Armin Jordan as the remorseful knight Amfortas (sung by Wolfgang Schoene), and Robert Lloyd (the faithful retainer Gurnemanz).
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsHanna SchygullaKlaus LöwitschIvan DesnyMaria 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.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsDennis HopperBruno GanzLisa KreuzerTom Ripley, who deals in forged art, suggests a picture framer he knows would make a good hit man.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsRosel ZechHilmar ThateCornelia FroboessPartially based on the life of Sybille Schmitz, who found fame under the Nazi regime, but whose career was destroyed afterward. Veronika Voss is a once prominent UFA actress, kept by her doctor, who raises suspicion in a sports journalist.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsWalter SteinerWerner HerzogA study of the psychology of a champion ski-jumper, whose full-time occupation is carpentry.
- DirectorWerner SchroeterStarsMagdalena MontezumaChristine KaufmannCandy DarlingThis is about the life and myths about famous opera singer Maria Malibran (1808-1836). She died on the stage.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsJosef BierbichlerStefan GüttlerClemens ScheitzThe foreman of a small village glassworks dies without revealing the secret to the famous "Ruby Glass".
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsAnna KarinaMargit CarstensenBrigitte MiraBoth parents of a young teen who walks with crutches secretly meet their lovers, who both surprise each other at the family's country home. The daughter arrives and initiates a guessing game of "Chinese roulette."
- DirectorVolker SchlöndorffStarsDavid BennentMario AdorfAngela WinklerIn 1924, Oskar Matzerath is born in the Free City of Danzig. At age three, he falls down a flight of stairs and stops growing. In 1939, World War II breaks out.
- DirectorHans-Jürgen SyberbergStarsHarry BaerIngrid CavenHanna KöhlerThe story of the legendary King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886), his opera interest and friendship with theatre personalities such as Richard Wagner and Joseph Kainz, and at the same time a reflection of the German 1800s.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsBrigitte MiraIngrid CavenMargit CarstensenFrau Kusters is preparing dinner late one seemingly-ordinary afternoon in her seemingly-ordinary kitchen in Frankfurt, Germany. She wants to add canned sausages to the stew; her annoying daughter-in-law thinks otherwise. But the point is moot: Mr. Kusters has murdered the personnel director at the soap factory where he works--and followed that by committing suicide.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsVitus ZeplichalElke AberleAlexander AllersonA man is interviewed by a sympathetic woman. His tale unfolds, of hard work that never pleases his parents, of a father who denigrates his efforts, of an indifferent mother. He builds them a house. Instead of offering their flat to him and his bride, they give the flat up, so he goes to Munich to work in construction, bringing his wife who is soon pregnant. They buy things on credit; he works overtime. He shows up with flowers and expensive gifts. When construction slows and he works less overtime, he cannot adjust his spending habits: he needs to be loved. Pressures mount. When he snaps, and violence ensues, who will be his victim?
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsBarbara SukowaArmin Mueller-StahlMario AdorfA seductive cabaret singer-prostitute pits a corrupt building contractor against the new straight-arrow building commissioner, launching an outrageous plan to elevate herself in a world where everything-and everyone-is for sale.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsHanna SchygullaWolfgang SchenckUlli LommelIn the nineteenth century, seventeen year old Effi Briest is married to the older Baron von Instetten and moves into a house, that she believes has a ghost, in a small isolated Baltic town. She soon bears a daughter, Annie, and hires the lapsed Catholic Roswitha to look after her. Effi is lonely when her husband is away on business, so she spends time riding and walking along the shore with Major Crampas. Instetten is promoted to Ministerial Councillor and the family moves to Berlin, where Effi enjoys the social life. Six years later, the Baron is given letters from Crampas to Effi that convince him that they had an affair. He feels obliged to challenge Crampas to a duel and banish Effi from the house.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsHans HirschmüllerIrm HermannHanna SchygullaHans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsMargit CarstensenUlrich FaulhaberBrigitte MiraMargot, who lives in a comfortable middle-class apartment, fears that she is losing her mind after having her second child. Her husband Kurt, who is busy studying for an exam, does not understand her situation. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law Lore are openly hostile to her. She resorts to Valium and drink and looks for sympathy, but to no avail.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsEddie ConstantineHanna SchygullaVolker SpenglerA wildly anarchic satire of urban guerrilla warfare in which a band of leftist radicals inadvertently become puppets of the West German government, which uses them to justify its authoritarian policies.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsHelmut DöringPaul GlauerGisela HertwigA group of dwarfs at a correctional facility erupt in anarchy.
- DirectorMargarethe von TrottaStarsJutta LampeBarbara SukowaRüdiger VoglerTwo sisters both fight for women's rights. Juliane is a journalist and Marianne a terrorist. When Marianne is jailed, Juliane feels obligated to help her despite their differing views on how to live.
- DirectorPeter FleischmannStarsMartin SperrAngela WinklerElse QueckeAbram returns to his small village and although his repairing skills are needed, people's suspicion about his sexual preferences make his life hard.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsAllen GarfieldSamuel FullerIsabelle WeingartenThe crew is running out of money to finish their film.
- DirectorMichael FenglerRainer Werner FassbinderStarsLilith UngererKurt RaabAmadeus FenglerWith slicked-down hair and three-piece suits, dependable Herr Raab is a technical draftsman. He gets along with his colleagues although his boss wants him to go beyond technical cleanliness to problem solving. He's a dutiful husband; his wife's a social climber and pushes him to seek a promotion, but they also share sweet moments. He's a caring father, helping his son with homework. His parents visit; his mother criticizes his wife. Old School friends drop by, as do neighbors. Some comment on Raab's wife's expensive tastes. His promotion may be a long shot, especially after he gives a dull and tipsy toast at an office dinner. But why would Herr Raab run amok?
- DirectorDanièle HuilletJean-Marie StraubStarsGustav LeonhardtChristiane LangPaolo CarliniThe life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as presented by his wife, Anna.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsPeter BrogleWolfgang ReichmannAthina ZacharopoulouThree wounded soldiers are removed from battle and given the task of looking after a fortress in a small coastal town. However, the pressures of isolation begin to take their toll on the men.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsRüdiger VoglerHanna SchygullaHans Christian BlechA writer goes on a road trip across West Germany with a group of eclectic people he meets along the way.
- DirectorWerner SchroeterStarsCarole BouquetIngrid CavenChristine KaufmannStory of a mentally unstable woman who goes into an institution.
- DirectorUlrike OttingerStarsTabea BlumenscheinLutzeMagdalena MontezumaA woman presented as a "trinkerin" is having a special tour in Berlin. She bought herself a single-way ticket and will drink everywhere she can.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsBrad DavisFranco NeroJeanne MoreauA handsome sailor is drawn into a vortex of sibling rivalry, murder, and explosive sexuality.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsLotte EisnerWolfgang BüttnerManfred EigendorfFootage shot in and around the Sahara Desert, accompanied only by a spoken creation myth and the songs of Leonard Cohen.
- DirectorVolker SchlöndorffMargarethe von TrottaStarsAngela WinklerMario AdorfDieter LaserA young woman's life is scrutinized by police and tabloid press after she spends the night with a suspected terrorist.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsKurt RaabMargit CarstensenHelen VitaA famous poet who hasn't written a word in two years unconsciously plagiarizes the work of Stefan George, while dealing with several mistresses, his dim-witted brother, and a murder investigation.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiEva MattesWolfgang ReichmannFranz Woyzeck is a hapless, hopeless soldier, alone and powerless in society, assaulted from all sides by forces he can not control.
- DirectorReinhard HauffStarsBruno GanzAngela WinklerHans Christian BlechDuring a police raid on a youth center, the biogeneticist Hoffmann is shot in the head. When he awakes from a coma, he can't remember anyting. The police accuse him of being a terrorist.
- DirectorRainer Werner FassbinderStarsLou CastelEddie ConstantineMarquard BohmOn a film set there are two things missing, the film material and the director. So the actors and actresses as well as the crew try to make the best out of the situation. When the director arrives the material is still missing and so they still wait and try to make the best out of the situation. When the material finally arrives all folks involved into the film find themselves in a weird situation. Jealousy, competition and despair are ruling. Nobody seems to be able to break through this atmosphere, so they all still try to make the best out of the situation, but this is probably not the way to finish the film.
- DirectorWerner SchroeterStarsGisela TroweCarla EgererRosemarie HeinikelCollage of dramatic scenes, some exaggerated to comic effect, with asynchronous sound from well known classic, operatic, and rock and roll music - with different approaches to love, suffering, and death.