Die tödliche Maria

Dreaming of changing her life, a woman, her neighbour's lover, confides her disarray in her statuette idol. The oppressive atmosphere of an insipid life is made into a drama bordering on fantasy, although somewhat drawn out in places.

Being a huge fan of Tykwer's work, I felt obligated to check out a very rare US screening of his debut feature, "Die Todliche Maria". It was being shown as part of a Tom Tylwer film retrospective by the local Goethe institude, and the man himself was present for discussion and dialogue concerning his films. It was a pleasure indeed. Tykwer proved to be a very thoughtful and intelligent individual with a real passion for films and the artistic/creative forces guiding them. It was a rare pleasure to meet him in person and something I will never forget.

Concerning the film itself, I must honestly admit that I was blown away by it. Deadly Maria is a dark film for Tykwer. Do not go check this out if you enjoyed the whimsical frenzy of Run Lola Run or the introspective and methodically paced Heaven. The camera work and most of the "basic" themes of this film were genuine Tykwer (working for the first time here with the remarkable Frank Griebe) but the overall atmosphere of the film made this a completely unique and engaging film on EVERY level. I dont think most of the people at the screening were all that moved by it, judging by the blank faces at the end of the film and the perplexed sentiment of many people I saw leaving the theatre. I was affected by this film on many levels, though, because I felt immersed in Marias world for the duration of the film. The character of Maria was displayed as the full package by the director, and for the first time in awhile I watched a true charecter study on film. It is relieving to know that some directors still want to have a main charecter that is examined on many levels and not just shallow surface level oriented stuff. We got an appropriate and sufficient amount of background throughout the film of her experience, making everything that happened after seem relevant and powerful. The scenes involving the young Maria were (I thought) very dark and very ominous. The colors were bleaker and the overall tone was different than the present day scenes (although they too were quite bleak). I could go on and on about how effective this film was, but I guess you just have to check it out for yourself. Nina Petri was just remarkable on all levels. Joachim Krol did a phenomenal job as the guy next door with bizarre obsessions. He is a fantastic actor.

I would put this towards the very top of Tykwer's work. In many ways, it is the dirty art house flick I think he was trying to make since he first started shooting 8mm as a kid. There are allot of surrealistic elements in this film too, and because he was able to convey them so well on such a minimal scale, my hat is tipped once again to the fantastic Tom Tykwer.

This should be released on DVD in the United States. My collection feels incomplete without it.

I was fortunate enough to be present at a viewing of the only print w/ english subtitles. Also, I wish that Tykwer had the funds available in the early nineties to complete his vision of the last scene. The way he described it in a 2003 lecture at the MFA was surreal and beautiful.

The first work of Tom Tykwer shows several qualities that have been brought to perfection in "Lola rennt" ("Run Lola Run"). There are especially the great camera work and the intelligent editing. Unfortunately the script is somewhat protracted now and then.

It's the directorial debut of Tom Tykwer and he knows how to drag us into his world. "Deadly Maria" is instantly mesmerizing with its strident horror film music and its surreal cinematography. Tykwer focuses on the details. He shows us clocks, an ink pen, the ear of the female protagonist, all in close up shots to control our attention heavily. Nina Petri, who plays the main character Maria, lets us share her thought in poetic offscreen-monologues. It's an oppressive and nightmarish storytelling in which we wait for the outburst of Maria.