Müpa filmclub - Veronika Voss' yearning (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss, 1982)

The Desire of Veronika Voss is Fassbinder's penultimate film and the final film in the BRD trilogy (BRD = Bundesrepublik Deutschland = Federal Republic of Germany), including The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lola and, of course, this film. What makes it a trilogy? Because all three films are set in the years after the World War. A hellishly difficult time, because the adults had lived through the Nazi dictatorship and the war. During those years - and for a long time to come - they have to face the immense responsibility of their lives. All that has happened has not yet gone away.

It is 1955, Munich. Veronika Voss (Rosel Zech), a successful actress before and during the war, has no role to play. Her reputation is dubious. (Fassbinder has lifted several elements from the life of actress Sybille Schmitz, who was ostracised from the profession because of her relationship with Goebbels.) Frau Voss is neurotic - and a hostage of her psychiatrist, who is after her remaining values. She pushes her with opiates, locks her up. The real protagonist of our story, however, is a sports journalist, Robert Krohn (Hilmar Thate), who accidentally runs into Veronika. He may even get a little carried away. He begins to investigate, hoping to save her, but is confronted with the fact that there are people who are organised to plunder the wounded and the losers of war in various ways. And in some cases they will not even stop at murder. The investigation reveals the victims. Including the regime's former favourite actress, the old man who rolls up his sleeves to reveal the numbers tattooed on his forearms. Fassbinder has created a unique language for this film. He shot in black and white, which makes Veronika Voss's past and present scenes melt into each other. And cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger creates light and shadow relationships that enchant the actress, who has lost her place in the world, and seem to visually transport her back to her former successful years.

In German, with Hungarian subtitles.

The discussion before and after the screening is in Hungarian.