The Cinema and its Double: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 'Despair' Revisited

Robert Fischer
2011-01-01


6.5
70 min

This absolutely top-notch documentary by Robert Fischer is a fascinating look back at not just the film in question, but Fassbinder's meteoric career which ended all too soon with his untimely death. Archival footage of Fassbinder is utilized (including several fascinating snippets culled from interviews he did at the disastrous Cannes premiere of Despair), as well as many others involved in the film and its release. Even if you're not a particular fan of Despair, or even in fact of Fassbinder, this is stellar documentary film making and is an intriguing look at one of the most enigmatic masters of the New German Cinema.

Cast

Name Character Team
Andréa Ferréol Self Unowned
Michael Ballhaus Self Unowned
Tom Stoppard Self Unowned
Juliane Lorenz Self Unowned
Dieter Minx Self Unowned
Alexander Allerson Self Unowned
Harry Baer Self Unowned
Isolde Barth Self Unowned
John Coldstream Self Unowned
Brock Van Den Bogaerde Self Unowned