Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0000984, Tue, 20 Feb 1996 16:02:24 -0800

Subject
Re: Fassbinder's DESPAIR (fwd)
Date
Body
From: Roy Johnson <Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk>

In your message dated Sunday 18, February 1996 you wrote :
> From: Michael Cunningham <mcunn@melbpc.org.au>

> I don't know of any scholarly work on Despair (which IMHO is one of
> Fassbinder's - and everyone else's - dreariest efforts) as such

Oh, I don't know! It has several redeeming features.
Bogarde gives a nicely fussy performance (rather like that in
DEATH IN VENICE) and the two German actors capture the stupidity
and vulgarity of their characters very well.

There is some superb camera-work, particularly the play with
windows and mirrors, and even Stoppard comes up with some
memorable lines - "I'm writing a book on schizophrenia - in fact
I might write *two*"

Fassbinder has made much worse films than this. I've sat through
many (as an admirer of his work)... and don't take *his* word
for it, for goodness sake.
--
Dr Roy Johnson | Roy@mantex.demon.co.uk
PO Box 100 | Tel +44 0161 432 5811
Manchester UK | Fax +44 0161 443 2766