Post by Mattsby on Feb 5, 2018 19:39:06 GMT
You rarely hear about Haneke's early made-for-TV projects. For someone so revered, it's a bit odd. I mean they're almost impossible to find......but I just recently luckily found Fraulein ('86) thru a site (that already no longer has it listed!) --
Fraulein was Haneke's response to the "indigestible mendacity" of Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy (Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola). Germany’s postwar economic miracle and Americanization is, seen thru our protagonist Johanna (Angelica Domröse), purely distraction. She’s a projectionist and quite relates to the fantasy a movie offers (refs to James Dean, Snow White, Baron Munchausen, etc). She attends live events such as wrestling matches—where she meets her French lover (Lou Castel) who distracts from her mentally unhinged husband. Music—‘50s songs pervade the film from Elvis, Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, etc. Compare that genre of music to the lusterless hymn played by the community members as they await a train of returning soldiers. The music stops when they realize barely anybody is getting off the train. Their idea of “reform” and societal boom is thwarted by a sudden harsh reality.
Expertly photographed, from tightly framed objects, telling close-ups of ambling, addlepated townsfolk, to stylized tracking shots and long takes which Haneke has since made his signature. Considerably fast-paced, too! Very cleverly edited......
The film is purposefully complicated tonally. Intertextual “distractions” (sometimes quite flighty) throughout “serious” scenes. One might find it jarring but I didn’t mind—it;s fascinating seeing Haneke work in this nigh French New Wave way. It’s also thematically suggestive of Johanna who cannot exist in an appropriately uninflected way—she is a checkered emblem of Germany’s postwar hypocrisy.
Anyway -- it's a terrifically interesting watch for fans. Has anyone seen it or other early unknown Haneke's?
Fraulein was Haneke's response to the "indigestible mendacity" of Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy (Maria Braun, Veronika Voss, Lola). Germany’s postwar economic miracle and Americanization is, seen thru our protagonist Johanna (Angelica Domröse), purely distraction. She’s a projectionist and quite relates to the fantasy a movie offers (refs to James Dean, Snow White, Baron Munchausen, etc). She attends live events such as wrestling matches—where she meets her French lover (Lou Castel) who distracts from her mentally unhinged husband. Music—‘50s songs pervade the film from Elvis, Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, etc. Compare that genre of music to the lusterless hymn played by the community members as they await a train of returning soldiers. The music stops when they realize barely anybody is getting off the train. Their idea of “reform” and societal boom is thwarted by a sudden harsh reality.
Expertly photographed, from tightly framed objects, telling close-ups of ambling, addlepated townsfolk, to stylized tracking shots and long takes which Haneke has since made his signature. Considerably fast-paced, too! Very cleverly edited......
The film is purposefully complicated tonally. Intertextual “distractions” (sometimes quite flighty) throughout “serious” scenes. One might find it jarring but I didn’t mind—it;s fascinating seeing Haneke work in this nigh French New Wave way. It’s also thematically suggestive of Johanna who cannot exist in an appropriately uninflected way—she is a checkered emblem of Germany’s postwar hypocrisy.
Anyway -- it's a terrifically interesting watch for fans. Has anyone seen it or other early unknown Haneke's?
