Fassbinder, the ever so reclusive German and fellow Brecht admirer, is a director that I’ve been looking forward to explore for quite some time now. I’ve only seen one of his films before, Angst essen Seele auf (1974), and it is a masterpiece, so Effi Briest looked like a decent view. The title is actually much longer, but I can’t be bothered to list the whole long one up here, check it on IMDb. Regardless, Effi Briest turned out to be quite an interesting and unique watch.
We are brought back to the late 19th century. A young girl is married to an elder man of some prestige and wealth. Now, what was most interesting about this film was its style and structure. For certain, if you don’t understand or appreciate Fassbinder’s techniques, then you might not like his films. The film is very detached from the events that take place on the screen. For example, if something very emotional has happened to a character, instead of showing that scene, Fassbinder will just shot a tracking shot of that character walking, and a narrator will in an impassioned voice talk about the incident. He also uses a lot of text, to illustrate to the audience what is going on in the characters mind. Fassbinder does go through a bit of pain to elaborate what he is trying, but I think, to quite some extent, he succeeds here, although not on such a grand scale as Angst essen Seele auf. But it is definitely a progression of Fassbinder’s style, and I find it endlessly fascinating. It is sort of his own brand of Epic Cinema, and I think it will be enjoyable to explore more of these methods. Fassbinder doesn’t allow much for psychological interpretation, like say Bergman. His alienation techniques work well though, and the idea about the film not being a character drama but about something larger, is quite good. The film uses the characters for its own purpose to create meaning and themes about society and, in particular, criticize the bourgeoisie.
I wouldn’t find it too unreasonable that someone might not like Fassbinder’s style. It is at times quite imprudent and difficult. But, if you go into his films with a certain mindset and are aware of his style and the theory behind it, one might find a lot of worth in these films. There is an idea in drama about “pressure and release”. Take any scene from most films. It starts out calm, and then becomes very intense, and at the end, it is calm again. This effect is utilized a bit differently here, sort of. Basically the pressure is held for most the film, but when it is finally is released, the moment is absolutely fantastic and powerful. It quite reminded me of the book The Stranger by Albert Camus, if you’ve read that. The effect is similarly stirring. The film is an excellent exercise in technique, but it is also a strong piece of cinema in its own right. The black and white cinematography is quite captivating, and Fassbinder’s fascination with using mirrors in many of his shots is interesting, as well as aesthetically beautiful. It is also one of the films, theoretically and aesthetically that is, that I have found the most interesting in quite a while. Fassbinder made an impressive amount of films in his relative short lifetime, and he brilliantly exhibits his talent here. In some ways I found it an artist trying to reach for too much, but then I remind myself how successful he is at all of it in this film, although his techniques still could use a bit more polishing. It is always fascinating to watch a director trying to develop his style across several films.
A brilliant film in many ways, an infantile film in others, much like Fassbinder himself seemed to be. Regardless, Fassbinder is a fascinating filmmaker, and he takes his cue from Brecht brilliantly here, while at the same time creating an idiosyncratic and personal style of his own. If you though I am Legend was the best film of 2007, don’t watch this, but if you thought it was utter shit, then this might be something for you. Also strongly recommended for any admirers of Bertolt Brecht.
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