Criterion to do 3 Fassbinders (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Mirza]

The Criterion Collection will release a box set collection of three films from late German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder this fall.

The trio of titles include 1979's The Marriage of Maria Braun, 1981's Lola, and 1982's Veronika Voss.

Criterion is working closely with the Fassbinder Foundation on these releases and will include new interviews with editor (and Foundation director) Juliane Lorenz, cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger, Museum of Modern Art film curator Lawrence Kardish, and others. Other extras have yet to be finalized, but possibly look for commentary tracks and some deleted scenes.

 

[SteveGon]

Thanks for the heads-up!

Fassbinder isn't one of my favorite directors, but I do admire his better works. I'll have to check these out - the only one of the three that I've seen is TMOMB.

 

[Rich Malloy]

YES!!!

I swear to God, after I heard they were releasing the great "ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL", I posted here that Criterion could prove itself once again to be the greatest DVD producer on the planet (as if they need to) if they released one of two Fassbinder boxsets: the entire "Berlin Alexanderplatz" or the so-called "Bundesrepublik Deutschland Trilogy" consisting of these three films!

(FYI: these films are also known as the "Adenauer Trilogy" after the German economic chancellor who presided over the post-War "economic miracle" into which Fassbinder was born and which forged his identity as the pre-eminent postwar German filmmaker.)

Portion of Curator's Essay from Fassbinder retrospective at MoMa: http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/1997...ors.essay.html

...The Marriage of Maria Braun, one of the filmmaker's favorite works, was given the honor of closing the New York Film Festival in October 1979. Maria Braun was the first in a trilogy Fassbinder wanted to make about the country that formed him, the Germany in which he spent his childhood and adolescence. This was the Germany of the Economic Miracle, presided over by Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the Federal Republic. The Adenauer era began in 1949 with a nation in defeat and occupied, its cities in rubble; fourteen years later, Germany had recovered financially, and its citizens were living comfortably, somewhat expansively, and certainly aquisitively. Fassbinder speculated about the moral and psychological price of this breakneck turnaround, and he believed that with it came forgetfulness. How an individual knew himself was of paramount importance to Fassbinder, and thus the question of personal identity was critical. Identity is formed through engagement with a social whole, and Fassbinder, being German, was eager to explore the notion of German identity.

 

[Rain]

This is great news.

But Criterion really needs to knock it off with this box set-only thing. Make the titles available separately.

Now then, how about Berlin Alexanderplatz? :frowning:

 

[Jon Robertson]

The boxset idea doesn't bother me that much, as it's going to be $79.95, which is like getting two for the price of three (seeing as they're all seemingly going to be big special editions), and they are very definitely a trilogy.

 

[Brook K]

Yeah, who wouldn't want to own all 3 anyway?

And MOMA, please do not pollute this set with any more self-aggrandizing commercials masquerading as a documentary.

The Fassbinder Foundation is currently trying to raise the funds required for restoration of Berlin Alexanderplatz. I think I read Lorenz stating that they hoped to be able to begin work by next year.

Besides BA, I want to see all the Fassbinders left out of the current restorations and DVD's being released. These seemingly may not see the light of day for a very long time. In particular - The Third Generation, The Stationmaster's Wife, Despair, World On A Wire, Like A Bird On A Wire, and Jailbait.

 

[Jim Rankin]

I have yet to watch a film from Fassbinder, but I know he is highly recommended by many. I have The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant and The Merchant of Four Seasonson the way from Netflix, figure that would give me a little taste of his work.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

But Criterion really needs to knock it off with this box set-only thing. Make the titles available separately.

I agree. I had no interest in the Truffaut boxset although I would have definitely picked up The 400 Blows if it was available separately. I would have picked up all three titles from the Fassbinder BRD Trilogy anyway and so the boxset is a no-brainer for me. Criterion is also rumored to be working on a boxset of Bergman's Faith Trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and Silence) and this is another boxset that I will be more than happy to purchase.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I don't mind the boxset if the titles aren't already available. I certainly don't mind paying less per film by buying a boxset.

 

[Rain]

I have yet to watch a film from Fassbinder, but I know he is highly recommended by many.

I strongly recommend adding Fox and His Friends to your list as well.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Criterion is also rumored to be working on a boxset of Bergman's Faith Trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and Silence) and this is another boxset that I will be more than happy to purchase.

The only real reason I've coveted a region-free player in the past year is for the R2 Bergman DVDs from Tartan, these titles foremost among them! I hope this is true...

And if you're getting into Fassbinder on DVD, do not overlook the widely-overlooked "WHITY". Not as seminal as "The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant" or "The Merchant of Four Seasons", but absolutely worth a view. The commentary track on "Whity" featuring Fassbinder regular, Ulle Lommel, and the great cinematographer, Michael Ballhaus, is also definitely worth a listen.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

The only Fassbinder I have seen is WHY HAS HERR R. RUN AMOK? but I am eager to check out this boxed set. Does anyone have any idea if and when we will ever see HERR R?

 

[Ted Todorov]

Re: left out Fassbinders --

I saw The Stationmaster's Wife recently and the print was quite good -- I wouldn't think they would need to worry too much about restoring it. A wonderful film BTW, certainly deserving a DVD release. Despair on the other hand was the first Fassbinder I saw (while in High School) and it put me off his films for a long time. Probably I was just too young.

I second Rich on Whity -- a great DVD. Beautiful transfer, pricelessly informative commentary track. The film ain't bad either -- most arresting cinematography this side of The Bitter Tears.... Beware of a Holly Whore is Whity's fictional "making of".

Ted

 

[WillardK]

Does anyone have any idea if and when we will ever see HERR R?

Herr R will be part of a box from Fantoma along with Martha and In A Year of 13 Moons. All are worthwhile, but that last one is another of his very best. The set's been delayed for ages (so has the first installment of their Anger series). Hopefully they'll both come out soon.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Thanks Willard for the info! Is Fantoma a US company? I'm not familiar with the name.

Are any Fassbinder films available in other regions? Many thanks.

 

[WillardK]

Fantoma is a label based in San Francisco. They did the forementioned Whity. Lots to recommend from their small catalog (their issue of Fritz Lang's Indian Epic is a spec-ta-cu-lar restored transfer... really eye-popping). The new Fassbinders AND the Kenneth Anger were slated for a 2002 release waaaaay back when. They are now supposed to be released before 2004, but no specific dates have been announced yet.

Wellspring is churning out lots of Fassbinder. The label wasn't mentioned, but Merchant of Four Seasons, Fox and His Friends, Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Katzelmacher and tons more are on that label. They are also directly consulting with the Fassbinder Foundation and the extras included with the special editions are nothing to sneeze at (they are so good in fact that it will be interesting to see how the Criterions compare).

 

[Brook K]

Discs have also been released in r2 Germany, but only the films have english subtitles, the extras do not. Also I believe the only disc available there that hasn't been released here is Lili Marleen

Available from Fantoma:
Whity (with commentary by Ulli Lommel and Michael Ballahaus)
Pioneers At Ingolstadt

Available from Wellspring:
Fox And His Friends
Katzelmacher
The Merchant Of Four Seasons (Commentary by Wim Wenders, "Women of Fassbinder" documentary, and another documentary)
The Bitter Tears Of Petra Von Kant (Commentary by historian/feminist writer, Fassbinder 1977 documentary (excellent), and both of Fassbinder's early short films)
The Niklashausen Journey
Rio Das Mortes
The American Soldier
Effi Briest
Satan's Brew
Beware The Holy Whore
Mother Kuster's Goes To Heaven

Plus Wellspring has 4 more due out next month and Criterion is releasing Ali: Fear Eats The Soul.

SteveGon and I have done reviews of The Bitter Tears Of Petra Von Kant in the "Expanding Horizons" thread in the Polls section.

 

[Rain]

Wasn't Wellspring or someone supposed to be releasing In a Year of 13 Moons? What happened to that one?

 

[Brian PB]

Fantoma plans to release three Fassbinder films sometime this year:

In a Year of 13 Moons
Martha
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see WillardK's post above

 

[WillardK]

Wasn't Wellspring or someone supposed to be releasing In a Year of 13 Moons? What happened to that one?

13 Moons is part of the box set coming from Fantoma.

I'm looking forward to the Criterions, but honestly I'm not as excited about the actual films as I am about those being released by others. Holy Whore and 13 Moons will be two of the most automatic purchases I've ever made.