After the death of her abusive father, the lonely librarian Martha marries an equally vile businessman – Helmut. The cruel and torturous nature of their relationship leads Martha to believe Helmut might be trying to kill her.

One of Fassbinder’s least-known films, this eerie melodrama stunningly blends dark comedy with sociopolitical critique. Enhanced by a dazzling use of color photography, and clearly indebted to the work of Douglas Sirk, Martha impressively turns a male-female relationship inside out.