The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972
My favorite Fassbinder film, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, may also be his most underrated. Amongst mainstream film critcs, 1974's Fear Eats the Soul or The Marriage of Maria Braun are the most talked about. A lot of web critics prefer 1978's masterpiece In a Year of 13 Moons, but The Bitter Tears is the one that, for me, showcases the reasons why Fassbinder is one of the great modern filmmakers. It is certainly the most rigorous example of his visual style, as it all takes place in the title character's apartment. Adapted from his own play, Fassbinder structures the film with only four major scenes, and it runs about two hours long. The first scene introduces to Petra Von Kant, a famous fashion designer who mistreats her assistant Marlene. A friend of Petra's, Sidonie, comes to visit her and she brings her model friend, Karin, along. Petra invites the aspiring model for dinner, which will be the second scene. At the end of the second part, Petra convinces Karin to move in with her and they seem like they will be very happy. But this is a Fassbinder's film, and the third part shows us how their relationship has gone sour and Karin no longer listens to Petra, she even goes as far as leaving her for her husband. The last, and best, scene of the film shows Petra's breakdown as she comes to term with her loss. We see her mother and her teenage daughter for the first time. The final heartbreaking scene is truly breathtaking. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant is claustrophic family melodrama at its finest.
