Veronika Voss








Director - Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Genre - Drama


Shot sumptuously in black and white, this story of a movie actress who clings on to a hopeless longing to be as famous as she once was has some similarity with 'Sunset Boulevard'. Familiar theme and plot aside, we still enjoyed ourselves because of its lovely cinematography and the feeling that this was more grounded than 'Sunset Boulevard'. It wasn't as theatrical and satirical as Billy Wilder's picture. It was an invitation to witness the heartbreaking downfall of a once glowing and on top of the world star. We took the bite, stayed with her till the end and that was it. Like Veronika, we had accepted her fate. This is life, Fassbinder seemed to say. Leave the sugar-coating for fairy tales.

4 STARS!

All about Veronika Voss

Comments

Neonklaws said…
"It was an invitation to witness the heartbreaking downfall of a once glowing and on top of the world star."

Ah Fassbinder, a true connoisseur of misery. Imagine what his party invites would look like. BYOB and shattered dreams
March 3, 2011 at 8:28 AM
1minutefilmreview said…
Hah! Fassbinder's pet theme was misery as you said, but we like him for the irony and black humor he exuded in his films. He had an inborn knack for thumbing his nose at conventional filmmaking and the established norm for cinema. Fassbinder lived and breathed cinema. He gave his entire life to it.
March 4, 2011 at 6:41 AM
Neonklaws said…
God yeah, I'm all for misery, makes me realise how much of a grumpy old git I'm being most the time when I witness things like this. Getting home late from work everyday is hardly on a par with this. Good review, I enjoy these little short burst, leaves me wanting more and doesn't ruin films for me
March 4, 2011 at 9:58 AM
1minutefilmreview said…
Thank you kindly for the fabulous plug! We believe that is probably the best compliment we've ever gotten. We're also over the moon that we've found someone who likes Fassbinder's movies. Hopefully we can chat about him again next time. We plan to watch and write more on him. His films fascinate us because he was totally immersed in the direction of each and every one. Just like Godard, you can always tell when it is a Fassbinder film.
March 5, 2011 at 9:59 PM
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