Rainer Werner Fassbinder directs Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch and Ivan Desny in this West German drama about a war widow who uses her sexuality and guile to thrive in the new economic era despite some very melodramatic curve balls thrown her way. 

Like watching a highlights reel of a German soap opera, only directed with subversion for cinematic form and societal taboos. Fassbinder is a new director for me but he embraces chaos like Monty Python, celebrates nostalgic fashion and shock like David Lynch and churns out a ‘Woman’s Picture’ that would make Old Hollywood both proud and recoil in horror. He is ably assisted by Schygulla, turning in a compelling lead turn as a sexy go-getter, pragmatic and focussed.

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