Two hours of a stylish existential morality play set in a single room with vain women discussing love and ambition. There's so many ways this could have been boring and stupid, and it kind of was, but it was also absolutely amazing and riveting. I was a little bored at times but now that it's over I kind of want to watch it again.

The kind of movie that doesn't engage, but rather absorbs you with it's atmosphere. It's not a film for everyone though, its slow, ponderous, incredibly subtle, and the blocking is so strange that the character interactions are nothing more than expressions. It's the depth of these expressions, and it's beautiful execution that makes for a highly satisfying experience. It's not the kind of film I'd watch again, but I'm sure it would be even more rewarding on a second viewing.

boring, but the end makes up for it

519

Excellent. Theatrical and intense and intelligent and weird and very aesthetically pleasing.

#543

By the end of this Fassbinder film it does get very interesting with its titular character and fascinating. Sadly however, the first half drags horrifically.

"Not exactly the most comfortable film of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's career." - Ed Gonzalez

fassbinder's camera is flawless, but the performances would have to be about twice as good for this to really be a masterpiece.

emotional violence

# 557

I was very bored and yet very intrigued at the same time.

A work of immense emotional intelligence and aesthetic brilliance. I suppose it's not for everyone, though. It features six women and no men, and doesn't do much to cover up the fact that it's adapted from a play - it looks and feels like one.

This film is soooooo intense.

Phenomenal character study. A sensible and haughty individual is brought to childish hysteria and temper tantrums after her love is used for nothing more than career advancement. Meanwhile, there are intriguing peripheral characters, like the long-suffering, golem-faced secretary, or Petra's young, optimistic daughter, who receives no real love from her mother. A terrific work of emotional realism, whose only real flaw is that it is somewhat limited in scope.

Master-slave dialectic put on film, with some really unsympathetic characters to back it up. Too bad it's not very engaging, although the Marlene character opens up for some interesting metaphoric interpretations. The talent of Fassbinder is evident, but I admit it took some iron will to sit this one through.

In synopsis, the story sounds lame. Fassbinder gets it to work. Please trust me on this.

503

A theatrical, meticulous movie. But not my kind of stuff, unfortunately.

Compelling character study of a villainous fashion designer's fall from grace, the apartment setting and use of silences gives an unbearable, claustrophobic tension to the hysteric proceedings. On a superficial level, the costumes and gaudy aesthetics are incredible.

Probably the greatest of this director's large catalog of impressive endings. The rest is fantastic, too.

Great