annev

This must be one of the worst films I have ever seen! There is no beginning, no story, and no end! What on earth went through Nicole Heesters mind when she accepted that part, is beyond me. An otherwise brilliant actress has her biggest - an until now only - genuine fiasco.

If it shows anything, it's the mess in Fassbinders mind near the end of his life. So many cliché's, I'm surprised I watched it 'till the end. I suppose that's because of the clothes, which is an interesting study of the extremes of the time. I suppose you could also see inspector Jansen as a parody, which might make it a bit more bearable, but the storyline is still too thin to make it worth while.

A surprisingly uncritical Sandra Maischberger lends a sympathetic (adoring?) ear to Leni Riefenstahl, who half a century later still things she did nothing wrong as an outstanding film director of Hitlers achievements during the war. If you want to remember what happened, listen to the horrible words that comes out of her mouth. What ever happened to Maischbergers journalistic background? Unfortunately, it doesn't show here.

The film shows in detail how an enormous talent was misused to show the supposedly superiority of the white race. Although LR in the last years of her life started taking photos in Africa, her views on racial separation remains apparent. Only her underwater photos lets you forget for a few moments, that her reputation remains that of Hitlers campaign maker.

I'm not a big fan of paranormal stories, but this is different. Not just because Hannah Gordon manages to astonish me once again. She is absolutely brilliant in this interesting historic scenario, and next to Dame Wendy Hiller, they put together a masterpiece. The two women, as different as they are, make a very intreaging couple, given the time the story is taking place - and an interesting portrait of women a hundred years ago in britain. I just love that speech Gordon makes to the students in the end - she is indeed better than the lot of them put together - that goes for Hannah Gordon as well as the character she plays. Wendy Hiller's mimic is absolutely excellent too.