Ehe der Maria Braun, Die (1979)

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writers:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (dialogue)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (story)
(more)

Release Date:

23 March 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Marriage Of Maria Braun. . . the marriage lasted no longer than half a day and a full night.

Plot:

This movie follows the life of a young German woman, married to a soldier in the waning days of WWII...

Plot Keywords:

War Bride | Homecoming Soldier | Post WWII Germany | Post War Germany | Post War Life

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 12 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hanna Schygulla	...	Maria Braun
Klaus Löwitsch	...	Hermann Braun
Ivan Desny	...	Karl Oswald
Gisela Uhlen	...	Mother
Elisabeth Trissenaar	...	Betti Klenze
Gottfried John	...	Willi Klenze
Hark Bohm	...	Senkenberg
George Eagles	...	Bill
Claus Holm	...	Doctor
Günter Lamprecht	...	Hans Wetzel
Anton Schiersner	...	Grandpa Berger
Lilo Pempeit	...	Frau Ehmke
Sonja Neudorfer	...	Red Cross nurse
Volker Spengler	...	Train conductor
Isolde Barth	...	Vevi
Bruce Low	...	American at conference
Günther Kaufmann	...	American on train
Karl-Heinz von Hassel	...	Prosecuting counsel
Kristine De Loup	...	Notary (as Kristine de Loup)
Hannes Kaetner	...	Justice of the Peace
Michael Ballhaus	...	Counsel
Peter Berling	...	Bronski
Rolf Bührmann	...	Warden
Rainer Werner Fassbinder	...	Peddler
Martin Häussler	...	Reporter
Horst-Dieter Klock	...	Gentleman With Car
Georg Kuhn
Norbert Scherer	...	Warden
Andreas Willim
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Glogau	...	Warden

Directed by
Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder		dialogue
Rainer Werner Fassbinder		story
Pea Fröhlich		dialogue
Pea Fröhlich		screenplay
Peter Märthesheimer		dialogue
Peter Märthesheimer		screenplay
Kurt Raab		uncredited

Produced by
Wolf-Dietrich Brücker	....	producer
Volker Canaris	....	producer
Hanns Eckelkamp	....	co-producer
Michael Fengler	....	producer

Original Music by
Peer Raben

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Rainer Werner Fassbinder		(as Franz Walsch)
Juliane Lorenz

Production Design by
Helga Ballhaus
Claus Hollmann
Norbert Scherer

Set Decoration by
Arno Mathes
Hans-Peter Sandmeier
Andreas Willim

Costume Design by
Barbara Baum

Makeup Department
Anni Nöbauer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Harry Baer	....	production manager (as Harry Zöttl)
Martin Häussler	....	production manager
Thomas Wommer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rolf Bührmann	....	assistant director

Art Department
Georg Borgel	....	props
Claus Kottmann	....	props

Sound Department
Milan Bor	....	sound mixer
John Salter	....	sound assistant
Jim Willis	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Ekkehard Heinrich	....	gaffer
Hans-Juergen Hoepflinger	....	gaffer
Horst Knechtel	....	assistant camera
Raimund Wirner	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Georg Kuhn	....	wardrobe
Inge Proeller	....	wardrobe
Susi Reichel	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Christiane Kolenc	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Daniel Ambach	....	music assistant
Kurt Maas	....	music assistant

Other crew
Helga Beyer	....	script supervisor
Kelyn Beyer	....	script supervisor
Robert Busch	....	production assistant
Dieter Dubine	....	location manager
Christine Fall	....	production secretary
Jochen Losse	....	production coordinator
Harry Zölb	....	location manager

Thanks
Peter Zadek	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Albatros Filmproduktion
• Fengler Films
• Filmverlag der Autoren
• Tango Film
• Trio Film
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• New Yorker Films (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (Canada)
• Pan-Canadian Video Presentations (Canada) (VHS)
• Pole Vídeo Comunicações Ltda. (Brazil) (VHS)
• United Artists (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• VEC (Canada) (VHS)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Marriage of Maria Braun (USA)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | Iceland:12 | UK:AA | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 (re-rating) | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2004) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Singapore:R(A) | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Albatros Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Rainer Werner Fassbinder]Peddler who sells Maria the black dress

Quotes:

Vevi: You're here alone, and your husband's who knows where, maybe even dead. And love's only a feeling; it's not real.
Maria Braun: But it's a good feeling, and it's real, and it's true.
Vevi: True? The only thing true is an empty stomach. And feelings are something you have between your legs, like an itch. You can't do it on an empty stomach and with someone who isn't here. Your sweetheart over there, he's here, and he ain't starving, and he's got a feeling for you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Maison Fassbinder, La (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

In The Mood

Falls short of it's suggested pedigree

Sporadically this does demonstrate masterful dialog and especially finely crafted direction from the distinguished German filmmaker, but summing it's entirety as a masterpiece feels way overpraised. There seems to be almost as much dead weight being carried around in The Marriage of Maria Braun as there is subtle grace.

Thankfully to aid Fassbinder's articulate work is lead (and apparent muse) Hanna Schygulla. Her transformation, however underhanded in pace, is entertaining to behold and probably one of the stronger female performances of the time. She exudes a sensuality better suited for long pauses then line recitals, but overall does an admirable job through and through.

Purists may revel in it's technical pronunciations and metaphoric finesse, but a certain emotional detachment lingers the entire time- contrary to what the script would imply. Don't let the typical European surprise shock ending and over-theorized allegorical conjecture fool you into calling this a masterpiece, it is still just a reasonably well made journey into the female psyche of post-war Germany.