Fassbinder's Germany: History, Identity, Subject

By Thomas Elsaesser

Book Overview

Rainer Werner Fassbinder is one of the most prominent and important authors of post-war European cinema. Thomas Elsaesser is the first to write a thoroughly analytical study of his work. He stresses the importance of a closer understanding of Fassbinder's career through a re-reading of his films as textual entities. Approaching the work from different thematic and analytical perspectives, Elsaesser offers both an overview and a number of detailed readings of crucial films, while also providing a European context for Fassbinder's own coming to terms with fascism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9053560599
• ISBN13: 9789053560594
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Very insightful

For everyone who is an avid watcher of Fassbinder movies it' great that book like this exists. It's probably very crucial that you saw a lot of Fassbinder's movies to understand this book, although the author did make an effort to write the main outlines of every movie that he is writing about so that you can 'go along' with him. Author's main occupation in this book is to point out the background of what was happening in Germany and the rest of the world and how it reflected in particular Fassbinder film. He doesn't tire us with Fassbinder's biography to explain his movies but rather tries to unfold mental state of Fassbinder himself and effect people and environment had on him when he worked on particular film. Author has a great knowledge about Fassbinder and other directors of his time so that he can point out what makes Fassbinder such an interesting subject than any other of his colleagues. Book was written in a form that is closer to textbook than a book, which is to expect since author is a professor of film and drama himself. All in all Fassbinder's fans will find this book a real treat while some others will find it as a good companion in watching Fassbinder films.