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Martha
Martha
8.2
/10
988 Ratings

MARTHA

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
West Germany, 1974
Drama, Thriller, TV Movie

Synopsis

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.

Synopsis

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.

Our take

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.