Fresh
Fassbinder himself was cruel and distant to those around him, particularly those who loved him, and in Maria Braun, he created an indelible monster who is perversely fascinating.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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The Marriage of Maria Braun
Overview
Maria marries a young soldier in the last days of World War II, only for him to go missing in the war. She must rely on her beauty and ambition to navigate the difficult post-war years alone.
Director and cast
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder Director
- Hanna Schygulla as Maria Braun
- Klaus Löwitsch as Hermann Braun
- Ivan Desny as Karl Oswald
- George Eagles as Bill
- Gisela Uhlen as Mother
- Elisabeth Trissenaar as Betti Klenze
- Gottfried John as Willi Klenze
- Hark Bohm as Senkenberg
- Günter Lamprecht as Hans Wetzel
- Lilo Pempeit Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
93%
Tomatometer
Fresh
The Marriage of Maria Braun is both an epic comedy and a romantic ballad, two not especially friendly forms that become seamlessly one in the sweet, tough, brilliantly complex performance of Hanna Schygulla.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Fresh
Though Fassbinder takes a more open attitude toward his characters, letting them exist as fully developed psychological specimens, his deadly irony continues to operate on the level of mise-en-scene.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
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