"The Marriage of Maria Braun can be seen as the story of a shrewd and ambitious woman or as a parable on the decadence of postwar Germany." - Spirituality and Practice
Let's talk movies! Join Terrence Odette and Wendy Guymer for a post-film discussion about Rainer Werner Fassbinder's fascinating view of post-war Germany, The Marriage of Maria Braun. We'd love to know what you think!
Maria (Hanna Schygulla) marries Hermann Braun in the last days of World War II, only for him to go missing in the war. Alone, Maria puts to use her beauty and ambition in order to find prosperity during Germany’s “economic miracle” of the 1950s. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s biggest international box-office success, 'The Marriage of Maria Braun' is a heartbreaking study of a woman picking herself up from the ruins of her own life, as well as a pointed metaphorical attack on a society determined to forget its past.
"This movie -- emotionally absorbing, visually breathtaking and intellectually demanding -- is a masterpiece." - People
"Knowing in advance that Fassbinder considers the institution of marriage to be the most insidious trap that mankind has yet devised for itself doesn't prepare you for The Marriage of Maria Braun." - Time Out
"The Marriage of Maria Braun is both an epic comedy and a romantic ballad, two forms that become seamlessly one in the sweet, tough, brilliantly complex performance of Hanna Schygulla." - New York Times
"It's the film's feminist edge that remains powerful, and it's easy to see why it became Fassbinder's biggest box office success." - From the Front Row