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Lili Marleen

Country: Germany, Language: German, 120 mins

  • Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Writer: Lale Andersen; Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Producer: Luggi Waldleitner; Enzo Peri

CGiii Comment

The main criticism that this film received was that Fassbinder actually humanized the Nazis...quite ridiculous considering they were human - oooh those pseudo-intellects.

This is yet another example of Fassbinder dabbling into genres that he really did not understand...the other notable example is the appalling Whity...

The numerous renditions of The Song...are all unforgettable, alas, not in a good way...torturous.

This was made years after Cabaret - the crowd-pleasing and chilling demonisation of the Nazis are notable examples of plagiarism. Fassbinder would have been wise to have ripped a few more inspirational pages from its book.

The Fassbinder trademarks are everywhere - the wooden acting, those ridiculous tableaux, the underlit lighting...

And, his self-professed intellectualism behind how women are better storytellers is (and will always be)...balderdash.


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The(ir) Blurb...

In Switzerland, German singer Willie falls in love with Jewish composer, Robert, who offers resistance to the Nazis by helping refugees. But his family thinks Willie is a Nazi and may be a risk for them. One day Willie helps Robert but, has to stay in Germany. As Willie starts to sing the song 'Lili Marleen' she becomes very famous and every soldier hears that song via radio - even Hitler wants to meet her, but she still does not forget Robert, and helps to smuggle photos of concentration camps to the free Switzerland. Robert wants to visit her, but is captured. Will never see Willie again until war is over.

Cast & Characters

Hanna Schygulla as Willie;
Giancarlo Giannini as Robert;
Mel Ferrer as David Mendelsson;
Karl-Heinz von Hassel as Henkel;
Erik Schumann as von Strehlow;
Hark Bohm as Taschner;
Gottfried John as Aaron;
Karin Baal as Anna Lederer;
Christine Kaufmann as Miriam;
Udo Kier as Drewitz;
Roger Fritz as Kauffmann;
Rainer Will as Bernt;
Raul Gimenez as Blonsky;
Adrian Hoven as Ginsberg;
Willy Harlander as Prosel