I have twice previously tried to watch this and fallen asleep once, to my shame, in the front row of the BFI Southbank, or NFT as it then was. I have to say, however, that there was a point this time, perhaps around the half hour point, where I felt I might slip under once again but was pulled back by the appearance on screen of Hanna Schygulla. After an extremely measured and uncompromising start, this startlingly staged and fantastically well photographed masterpiece from Rainer Werner Fassbinder gets under your skin. The devastatingly stark dialogue takes no prisoners and the fearsome young ladies before us confound and delight us as they develop before our very eyes into something more akin to tigers in a cage circling each other, daring each other and then ripping at each other. Without giving too much away, I have to say that Margit Carstensen is devastating in the central role and her manipulating manner and inclination has equally devastating consequences as she leans away from a disturbing sadomasochistic relationship to something she feels might be more satisfying with the young and sexy Hanna. What could possibly go wrong? Absolutely riveting and completely involving piece of cinema, just shy of perfect because of that slight drag early on.
