THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT

West Germany, 1972, 124 minutes, Colour.
Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schuygulla, Irma Hermann.
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant is a film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. A young German writer-director, he made many films in the '70s and achieved some international fame. In some, like Fear Eats The Soul and Fox And His Friends. he uses an atmosphere of realism and strong elements of plot. In others he goes for the formalities of relationships and changing relationships, even confining them to one room as he does in this particular film.

The effect is sometimes claustrophobic and even very boring. Another example, much more artificial, of this kind of film is Chinese Roulette. He uses generally the same group of actors and actresses for his films and has built up quite a company.

The leading lady in this film is one of his regulars and she gives an excellent performance as the strange and tormented Petra. The supporting cast is also uniformly excellent. Striking, talky, yet ultimately moving.

1. An interesting film. enjoyable, entertaining? Its dramatic impact, thematic? A stage cinema experience? The work of the director - his prolific filmmaking, his intense personal themes, sexuality, pessimism?

2. The confinement of the action to the one room - the claustrophobic effect? The need to escape from the room? The room as a symbol of Petra? Her being locked in herself, her encounters with people within her room? The importance of the decor and its reflecting her character? Art design, fashion, odd beauty? Ugliness?

3. The film as an example of German film-making in the '70s - colour photography, style, cinematic effects? Editing? The musical score?

4. The fluidity of the photography for the confinement within the one room? The postures and tableau of the characters? The dramatic impact of these effects - and the influencing of response to themes, characters? The audience being at home in the room? The knowledge of Petra’s life, attitudes, her life for the day of the film's action?

5. The importance of the musical score: the classical themes - the popular music: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, The Great Pretender, In My Room? The placing of these songs? Their comment on the action, Petra's character? The pop tune effect? The clash of cultures - Petra and her art, the popular songs?

6. The importance of words and dialogue in the film? The long speeches, the articulation of views, the elaborate wording of speeches? The impact of the sound and flow of the words? Their choice? Revelation of character? The counterpoint of words and images?

7. The significance of the title the focus on Petra as a character, a German character? Petra as a woman the feminine aspects of her character, her interests, relationships, career.. her room? The pessimism of the bitter tears -her own tears, her sorrows and pain? The tears that she caused? The revelation of Petra waking up., doing her make-up, her imperious attitudes, her work, her conversations with Sidonie, Karin, her mother, her daughter, the baroness? Her relationship with Marlene? The interaction of these people throughout the day, the change of moods? The final departures, the coming of the dark and the end of the film? The artificial structure for revealing Petra's character?

8. The character of Karin - her appearance, her work, as a type? As an aspect of the feminine? Her friendship with Sidonie? Her unhappy marriage, her eagerness for the fashion model career? The discussions with Karin especially about marriage? Petra's demands on Karin? Karin's indifference, laziness, quarrelling? Her relationship with her husband Freddie and her decision to depart? Karin's returning the phone call later in the day? Petra’s coolness? The comparison with Petra? What light on the feminine did Karin throw?

9. The growing revelation of Petra's obsessions, preoccupations, infatuations? Her marriages and her reflection on these? Love for a man, love for a woman? Her conversations with Karin as revealing these? The comparisons with the conversations with Marlene? Petra and her emotional needs, capacity for seduction? Her being left alone?

10. The character of Sidonie - feminine chatter? The quality of their talk, issues, style? Their friendship? Sidoni’s influence on Karin?

11. Petra and her relationship with Marlene - Marlene's presence, virtual slavery, the feminine comparison? Marlene's faithfulness? Her being finally released from her bondage and her decision to leave Petra? The relationship of Petra to her mother and daughter? Her bitterness with Karin before the arrival of the two women? Her daughter's talk of being in love, Petra's scorn for her daughter? Her discussion with her mother and shocking her by talking of love for another woman? The three generations of the family? The mutual influence? Love-hate relationships? Petra and her separating herself from her family?

12. Marlene and her being in the background, her hard work? The promise that she would have more freedom? The motive for Marlene's packing her bag and silently departing? Petra's inability to hold people?

13. What was the audience left with at the end of the film? An experience of contrived and stylised reality? The portrait before the audience - a distant world with which the audience could not identify but merely observe? The importance of the theorising about the issues of life by the heroine? Her making herself up from her real broken self to an artificially elegant woman? Doubt, jealousy and betrayal eating into her life, her appearance? The symbolism of the audience seeing Petra for only one day of her life? How much did Petra reveal of her character - the importance of her descriptions of her marriages - her intellectual elegance and aesthetics compared with the physical existence of her husband? Her talk about higher love and yet her need for passion? The decay of beauty? How much truth was there in the portrait of this woman? Truth about human nature, women, the feminine side of both men and women?