"Lola" *** (out of ****)
I've yet to really pay attention to German cinema on this blog, despite recently reviewing Pabst's "The 3 Penny Opera". I've also never reviewed something by Rainer Werner Fassbinder on here.
Fassbinder, along with Werner Herzog, were part of the New Wave of German cinema starting around the 1970s. For me Fassbinder may have never directed a better film than his 1971 masterpiece "The Merchant of Four Seasons". Going on imdb.com I see he is credited with directing 43 films, which is remarkable considering how young he was when he died and leading a life full of drugs and alcohol.
I am nowhere near seeing all of his films, many simply aren't available in the U.S., like his film "Jail Bait" which I've been trying to get a hold of for years. I also haven't seen all of his films because I'm not his biggest fan. I'll continue to watch his work if something interesting catches my eye, but I'm usually unable to connect with his stories. Like Herzog his characters take on odd obsessions. Yes masterpieces have come along now and then. His 15 hours mini-series "Berlin Alexanderplatz" is one of the crowning achievements of cinema. His "Effi Briest" has a great lyrical, literary quality to it and his "Ali:Fear Eats the Soul" is believed to be by film buffs not only Fassbinder's greatest work but one of the greatest films ever made.
"Lola" was released in 1981 and was part of a trilogy Fassbiner was working on dealing with Germany's economy after WW2. The trilogy started in 1979 with "The Marriage of Maria Braun". The film is interpreted as being about Germany's economic recovery after the war. The series ended with "Veronika Voss", which was about Germany's nostalgia for the past and Germany's "former glory". "Lola" isn't as good as either. It is fitting it is the middle film.
In "Lola" Germany is enjoying a ten year economic high though the city is filled with corruption. Lola is the name of a cabaret dancer/prostitute (Barbara Sukowa) who finds herself the property of Schukert (Mario Adorf), a man with connections high up in the government. A new government official has arrived in town, Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Lola has taken an interest in him due to his power and culture. She arranges to have herself introduced to him. Von Bohm is immediately taken by her beauty but is unaware of her job.
It is said Fassbinder was trying to make the point of corruption in West Germany's government with this film. I can see that. Though I also read into it a comment of capitalism and the free market. Schukert is the old government ways which saw Germany's economy rebound but has become corrupt. Von Bohm is the new government which will take over and Lola is the German people, who did what they could to survive and get by, much like Maria Braun. But Lola is caught between these two men which I suppose could be read as the people of Germany unsure of where Germany may have been headed while taking a dislike to the corruption going on.
One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Von Bohm discovers what Lola's job is. He walks into the club and sees Lola onstage dancing. She doesn't notice him at first but when she does he leaves. She becomes ashamed and embarrassed but through that embarrassment becomes more vulgar. Her gestures become wilder and more animated. She starts to strip and dances with Schukert, who is a regular at the club.
I find this to be a very revealing moment about Lola's nature. She knows what she is doing is wrong, she has shame but doesn't know what else to do. When she becomes discovered she doesn't know how to react so in a way she gives up and lives in the moment. There is no escaping what she is.
The film ends with Lola getting married but continuing an affair with Schukert, which I can only interpret as Germany has a hard time letting go of its corrupt ways.
The reason I don't think "Lola" is as good as the other films in the trilogy is because so much of the film is symbolic. Without symbolism and character's representing something greater the film has little to offer. If you don't know what Fassbinder had in mind before hand the film is meaningless. At least "Maria Braun" and "Veronika Voss" had interesting stories which worked on their own even if you didn't know the films deeper intentions.
If you enjoy the work of Fassbinder you are going to want to see "Lola". If you've never seen a Fassbinder film, I'd ease my way into it. There are a lot of other more enjoyable films to watch by this talented director.
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