World on a Wire Blu-ray Review

Rainer Werner Fassbinder had only been making feature films for four years when he tackled the enormous miniseries version of World on a Wire. Filmed in two parts totaling over three and a half hours, World on a Wire was the tragic filmmaker’s only sojourn into science fiction. Seen now almost forty years after its original broadcast, viewers will be quick to see elements of Blade Runner and The Matrix among other science fiction classics, but World on a Wire got there first. While the production may drag in spots and might have been cut a bit for a three hour theatrical release (the film was reissued to theaters in 2010 at its full length), what’s here in the new Criterion release is the full program, a thoughtful, nerve-jangling exposé on the tentative and possibly unnatural state of reality.

World on a Wire (Blu-ray)
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Studio: Criterion
Year: 1973
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1   1080p   AVC codec
Running Time: 212 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: PCM 1.0 German
Subtitles: English

Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.95

Release Date: February 21, 2012

Review Date: February 14, 2012

The Film

4/5

The world of the future contains a computer project called Simulacron, a technology-based simulated environment where computers control automatons who exist as if alive. When the head of Simulacron Professor Henry Vollmer (Adrian Hoven) begins exhibiting erratic behavior and is found dead in one of the computer rooms, he’s replaced by his assistant Dr. Fred Stiller (Klaus Löwitsch). Almost immediately, however, Fred begins having dizzying headaches and his own mental instabilities. Head of security Günther Lause (Ivan Desny) disappears into thin air, but when Fred begins trying to get to the bottom of his friend’s disappearance, no one seems to know who he is. The head of Simulacron Herbert Siskins (Karl-Heinz Vosgerau) tries to be patient with Fred’s increasingly unpredictable behavior, but when he begins spouting the belief that they themselves are not living in the real world but are rather a set of automatons being manipulated by others, Stiller becomes a liability to the company who decides he must be stopped.

For those familiar with the films, television movies, and miniseries of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, you’ll notice immediately his directorial hand on every frame of the material. Mirror reflections are everywhere emphasizing the false reality of what we’re often seeing. His staging is a mixture of realism and stylized movement that exists rather uneasily together, perfect for a story about a protagonist slowly losing his grip on what he thinks is reality. There’s also a camp presence with a nightclub that features bodybuilders in abundance and an impersonator lip synching (rather poorly) to Marlene Dietrich’s “See What the Boys in the Backroom Will Have” and “Lili Marlene,” the latter while enacting the finale to Dishonored. Lots of members of his stock company are also on hand in supporting roles or as extras. All of this is in support of a terrifying notion of the possibility of our existence being one of simulated unreality, first set forth in the novel by Daniel F. Galouye and adapted for this miniseries by Fassbinder and Fritz Müller-Scherz. While there are lots of patented Fassbinder scenes where principals stand or sit and talk at length, there are certainly well staged scenes of action (the last hour of the film amounts to an extended chase) and some superbly suspenseful moments which Fassbinder makes uniquely his own.

Klaus Löwitsch has been cast against type in a professorial role, but who’s far more Daniel Craig (and shows off his impressive physique as much as Craig did in Casino Royale) than James Mason. He gives a charismatic, physically adept performance of impressive power which never loses its sense of unsteadiness and unbalance throughout, a real tour de force for the actor. Karl-Heinz Vosgerau is all smiling unctuousness as project leader Herbert Siskins while Kurt Raab is his polar opposite, a dour drone commissioned to replace Stiller once his mental stability is called into question. The two primary women who inhabit the story, Barbara Valentin as Fred’s secretary Gloria Fromm and Mascha Rabben as Fred’s love interest Eva Vollmer, the daughter of his mentor, have both been directed to be as unexpressive and mechanical as possible. Both ladies do their utmost to comply and are reasonably successful.

Video Quality

3.5/5

Filmed for German television in 16mm, the 1.33:1 framed transfer is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. Sharpness is never at peak levels though some scenes come off better than others. The same is true for color consistency which sometimes is pretty striking and at other times seems a bit flat and drab. Flesh tones are generally realistic and well presented. Black levels are better than one might expect. Except for the hairs and fuzz that are part of the original photography and have been retained, the transfer is amazingly free of age-related damage. The white subtitles are usually very easy to read unless they come into relief against brighter white backgrounds which make them a little harder to see. The presentation has been divided into 30 chapters though the user can opt to see the film in two separate parts with 16 and 14 chapters respectively.

Audio Quality

4/5

The PCM 1.0 (1.1 Mbps) sound mix is very typical for a television production of the era. Dialogue has been post synched, but it sounds more natural than is often the case with this process. As with many Fassbinder films, there is wall-to-wall music selected from classical and popular repertoires and also utilizing some electonic pulses on a few occasions that will remind the viewer of the Forbidden Planet soundtrack. One of the old pop selections has been reproduced from a scratchy sound source which is offered as background here in all its hissy, crackly splendor.

Special Features

3.5/5

All of the video featurettes are presented in 1080p.

Fassbinder film expert Gerd Gemünden offers a video critique of the movie noting the stylistic influences of the director in a intriguing 34 ¼-minute analysis.

“World on a Wire: Looking Ahead to Today” features co-writer Fritz Müller-Scherz, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, and co-star Karl-Heinz Vosgerau recalling memories of working on the film from preproduction script conferences to shooting, editing, and its reception. This revealing feature runs 50 ¾ minutes.

The theatrical trailer for the film’s 2010 release runs 1 ½ minutes.

The enclosed 14-page booklet contains the cast and crew lists, some still poprtraits from the movie, and an essay on the film and its maker by critic Ed Halter.

The Criterion Blu-rays include a maneuvering tool called “Timeline” which can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc and the title of the chapter you’re now in. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.

In Conclusion

4/5 (not an average)

A science fiction film/miniseries that relies far more on probing ideas and imagination than on fancy special effects, World on a Wire is long but imminently worth the lengthy ride. Recommended!

Matt Hough

Charlotte, NC