VERONIKA VOSS
West Germany, 1982, 105 minutes, Black and white.
Rosel Zech, Hilmar Thate, Annemarie Duringer.
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Veronika Voss is an award-winning film from that most prolific of German directors Rainer Werner Fassbinder. During the '70s, Fassbinder made a number of very successful films as well as a number of film which are very subjective and specialised. He is interested in German society, German history and sees relationships within these contexts. He has also been influenced by his love for Hollywood films, especially genre material and he has allowed these to influence him or has absorbed their styles into his idiosyncratic work. A number of his films about relationships are so intense that they are difficult to sit through - while well worth the analysis afterwards. Veronika Voss is quite an accessible film, contains his themes but is satisfying entertainment for a wide audience.
It is filmed strikingly in black and white and has excellent central performances. There is a moodiness about the film which communicates itself to the audience and helps to understand the infatuation of the sports writer with a faded star of screen in the 1940s. With its 1950s setting, the film is distanced from the present although throwing a great deal of light on German society and attitudes. The drug background and the medical manipulation are very well done and frightening.
1. The prolific work of Fassbinder? The continued quality of his work? Awards? His talent for writing, directing? Entertaining? Insight into character, into Germany?
2. Fassbinder's style? German realism? use of symbols and themes? His being influenced by the traditions of German cinema and photography? The credits sequences - the reference to U.F.A. and German film-making in the '30s and '40s? His being influenced by American cinema and melodrama? American songs and styles? The song of memories and its use in this film? The sequences of film production, talk about film and its nature? The world of movie stars - its reality and unreality? A satisfying film about the film world?
3. The quality of the black and white photography, its contemporary style yet suggesting a mood of the '50s, influenced by the past German cinema? A world of light and shadow, black and white - and the discussions about the reality and illusions of cinema? Sombre tones? The flashbacks and their sparkling style at first, becoming more sombre? The score: the continued American songs e.g. Sixteen Tons? Veronika's song of memories - with echoes of the Dietrich style, the ironic lyrics, an end them?
4. The world of the celebrities: artificial, professional? Their needs, need for recognition? Security, support, response from the public, the reaction to failure and collapse? Celebrities being used and exploited? Famous celebrities as losers, needing to be rescued? Unable to be rescued? Victims? Audience sympathy for the private lives of stars, lack of sympathy? The film's critique of their lives?
5. The opening with Veronika watching herself on film, the ironic screenplay and its being repeated in her real life? Her self-consciousness, reaction, the flashback and her nostalgic memories of the filming, her fame, the support of her husband and her kissing him? There being practically no explanation of why she was divorced? Her husband's remarks about her being able to destroy people? Her style, manner of speaking? The interview with Praetorius, his secretary putting her off, Praetorius excusing himself but giving her a role - and the glimpse of the girl in his office? The actual filming and her failing to act, to produce tears? Her collapse? Her acting for Dr. Katz to put the police off? The impact of her final song? The film persuading us that Veronika had talent as an actress? Ability or not? Style? An actress of German history, of the war years, suggestions of collaboration, her winning over the critics to forget her past? Did she have a sense of guilt about the past or not?
6. The chance meeting with Robert: his personality, character, courtesy, helping her, fascinated? His discussing her with his girlfriend after the phone call? The tea and his giving her the money for the brooch? Her leaving him? The fascination and his research? Her reappearance. inviting him to spend the night? The growing infatuation? How credibly was this presented? The repercussions of the night and the infatuation?
7. Robert's relationship with his girlfriend - initially. the phone call and the difficulty in answering the phone? His going to the appointment, the discussions about recognition? His deciding to help her? His presence at the filming and the failure? The corridor sequence with his presence and that of the husband? His being interested in her home, the courtesy of the old couple in referring him to Dr. Katz? Dr. Katz's assistant's reaction and allowing him in? His growing involvement with Veronika and discovering more about Dr. Katz? His trying to expose her especially after the death of the old couple? His asking his girlfriend to act a role? The phone call and her death? His grief? His trying to produce the prescription in the purse and Veronika's act disdaining him? His decision to go to her party? His response to her song and performance? The discussion in her memory about Holy Thursday, Good Friday and death? His final reading of the paper with the headline and his going to the stadium? His disillusionment and disappointment?
8. Robert's girlfriend and her relating to him, discussing Veronika, making comparisons? Her patience in putting up with the situation? Her becoming involved even to the visit to Dr. Katz and getting the prescription? The sense of achievement, the phone call, her death? Her being a parallel victim to Dr. Katz - an ironically a victim of Robert's intervention?
9. Dr. Katz and her assistant? The antiseptic but wealthy apartment? Psychology and neurology? Her charm and poise? The gradual realisation of her control and set-up? The ironic presence of the black man and his work, preparing the drugs, the continued American songs? The lesbian overtones of the house? Veronika and her presence, her continued returns, dependence on Dr. Katz? Dr. Katz's style, control, exercise of power? The details of the interaction? Lesbian overtones? Veronika's collapse and her being taken back for drug treatment? The financial situation? Dr. Katz's system - as illustrated by the old couple? Her assistant, the black man, doctor, friend? Their decision about Veronika - the ironic farewell party on Holy Thursday night? Locking her in her room with the pills? Covering their tracks all with adroit sympathy? The cruelty of their victimising Veronika and the others? The film's critique of them?
10. The sketch of the old couple, their initial courtesy, reference to Dr. Katz, the shop. their deaths?
11. The dramatic atmosphere with the girlfriend's death, Robert's desperation with the police, Veronika's cool disdain? The party with her song? The long finale of her being alone, Easter Sunday morning, the Papal Blessing on the radio, her memories of Robert's talk of Holy Thursday and Good Friday and death? Her being finally controlled by Dr Katz and her death?
12. The film as interesting entertainment? Character study? Study of relationships, control, power, love, infatuation? its significance in its German setting?
