The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
The Bitter Tears Of Petra Von Kant is a 1972 West German New Wave psychological romantic drama film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, based on his own play. Featuring an all-female cast, the plot takes place entirely in the home of narcissistic protagonist Petra von Kant, and follows the changing dynamics in her relationships with other women. Petra's story is told in a theatrical fashion in four acts, each depicting her state of mind hinted at visually by her clothes and hair. The film was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival. The movie is regarded by many to be Fassbinder's magnum opus and a classic of the German cinema.
Theatrical release poster
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker, actor, and dramatist. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Versatile and prolific, his over 40 films span a variety of genres, most frequently blending elements of Hollywood melodrama with social criticism and avant-garde techniques. His films, according to him, explored "the exploitability of feelings". His work was deeply rooted in post-war German culture: the aftermath of Nazism, the German economic miracle, and the terror of the Red Army Faction. He worked with a company of actors and technicians who frequently appeared in his projects.
Fassbinder in 1980
Fassbinder and Hanna Schygulla at the 1980 Venice Film Festival