The DVD cover tagline is "sex is the ultimate weapon," but of course, it's only about sex at all insofar as it's about the relationship of sex to everything else.
The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:11
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT is a scathing chamber piece that could have only sprung from the mind of German cinema's enfant terrible, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Based on a play by the... THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT is a scathing chamber piece that could have only sprung from the mind of German cinema's enfant terrible, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Based on a play by the maniacally prolific writer-director, the film is a hyper-contained tale of obsession and deception. Margit Carstensen plays the titular character, an emotionally unstable fashion designer who becomes obsessed with one of her models, the gorgeous Karin (Hanna Schygulla). What at first appears to be an open and shut case of the powerful dominating the powerless becomes something much more complex as the film builds to its shocking third-act climax. One of Fassbinder's most widely recognized films, THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT features deeply affecting performances from regular contributors Carstensen (MOTHER KUSTERS GOES TO HEAVEN) and Schygulla (THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN). In adapting his own play for the screen, the devious rebel once again employs his contradictory style, which juxtaposes intense, almost unbearably intimate drama with melodramatic, campy flourishes. The result is an uncomfortable viewing experience, to be sure, but one that tests the boundaries of drama in a way few films ever have. [More]
Starring: Margit Carstensen, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, Eva Mattes
Starring: Margit Carstensen, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, Eva Mattes
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Screenwriter: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
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Reviews for The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
Even those who love pain will be frustrated by The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.
'A brilliant depiction of the manipulation inherent in every relationship and the lengths to which people will go to stay with the ones they love.'
Not exactly the most comfortable film of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's career.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder's most harshly stylized and perhaps most significant film.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
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