Die Ehe der Maria Braun (The Marriage of Maria Braun)
1979
****
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Cast: Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch, Ivan Desny, Gisela Uhlen, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Gottfried John, Hark Bohm, George Byrd, Claus Holm, Günter Lamprecht, Anton Schiersner, Sonja Neudorfer, Volker Spengler, Isolde Barth
Towards the end of WW2, Maria marries Hermann Braun, but he first disappears on the Eastern front and then winds up in prison. Meanwhile, Maria builds a new life and achieves financial security, but remains emotionally tied to Hermann. One of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's most successful works is a captivating and moving drama that explores love, ambition, guilt, and sacrifice. The sharp-witted and self-confident Maria Braun is a wonderfully drawn character, and her rise from hardship to prosperity mirrors West Germany's economic transformation in the postwar years. Hanna Schygulla is excellent in the lead.
