Bolwieser

Otherwise known as "The Stationmaster's Wife" - the stationmaster being Bolweiser, played to pathetic perfection by Kurt Raab. Elisabeth Trissenaar is the wife. I watched the new DVD version last night, and though it doesn't offer any substantial improvement over the videotape version, the film itself certainly affirmed my belief that this is one of Fassbinder's better productions. It's certainly one of the most devestating examinations of adultery I've read or seen anywhere, and the subtle connections made between a marriage gone bad (or maybe just born bad), small-town politicking, and the rise of fascism are extremely effective. Some guy named Jim, perhaps the most devoted film fan ever, and of Fassbinder in particular, has a lot of good things to say about it here.