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The Marriage of Maria Braun Poster

The Marriage of Maria Braun

1979 | 120m | German

(15902 votes)

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Popularity: 1 (history)

Details

Maria marries a young soldier in the last days of World War II, only for him to go missing in the war. She must rely on her beauty and ambition to navigate the difficult post-war years alone.
Release Date: Mar 23, 1979
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Writer: Peter Märthesheimer, Pea Fröhlich
Genres: Drama
Keywords world war ii, empowerment, black market, strong woman, penitentiary, economic miracle, marriage, 1940s, new german cinema
Production Companies WDR, Albatros Filmproduktion, Trio Films, Filmverlag der Autoren, Fengler Films, Tango Film
Box Office Revenue: $0
Budget: $0
Updates Updated: May 27, 2025
Entered: May 27, 2025
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Full Credits

Name Character
Hanna Schygulla Maria Braun
Klaus Löwitsch Hermann Braun
Ivan Desny Karl Oswald
George Eagles Bill
Gisela Uhlen Mother
Elisabeth Trissenaar Betti Klenze
Gottfried John Willi Klenze
Hark Bohm Senkenberg
Günter Lamprecht Hans Wetzel
Lilo Pempeit Frau Ehmke
Michael Ballhaus Counsel
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Peddler
Günther Kaufmann American on Train
Claus Holm Doctor
Anton Schiersner Grandpa Berger
Sonja Neudorfer Red Cross Nurse
Volker Spengler Train Conductor
Isolde Barth Vevi
Bruce Low American at Conference
Karl-Heinz von Hassel Prosecuting Counsel
Kristine De Loup Notary
Hannes Kaetner Justice of the Peace
Barbara Baum (as Baum)
Peter Berling Bronski (as Berling)
Rolf Bührmann Warden
Martin Häussler Reporter
Horst-Dieter Klock Gentleman with Car
Georg Kuhn
Norbert Scherer Warden
Andreas Willim
Arthur Glogau Warden (uncredited)
Name Job
Barbara Baum Costume Design
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Editor, Director, Idea
Anni Nöbauer Makeup Artist
Arno Mathes Set Decoration
Andreas Willim Set Decoration
Peter Märthesheimer Screenplay
Claus Kottmann Props, Production Design
Peer Raben Original Music Composer
Juliane Lorenz Editor
Norbert Scherer Production Design
Inge Proeller Costume Design
Hans-Peter Sandmeier Set Decoration
Michael Ballhaus Director of Photography
Milan Bor Sound Designer
Georg Kuhn Costume Design
Pea Fröhlich Screenplay
Jim Willis Sound Designer
Robert Busch Production Assistant
Helga Beyer Script Supervisor
Rolf Bührmann Assistant Director
Raimund Wirner Gaffer
Hans-Juergen Hoepflinger Gaffer
Dieter Dubine Location Manager
Jochen Losse Production Coordinator
Harry Baer Production Manager
Susi Reichel Assistant Costume Designer
Helga Ballhaus Production Design
Martin Häussler Production Manager
Ekkehard Heinrich Gaffer
Georg Borgel Props
Christiane Kolenc Assistant Editor
Thomas Wommer Unit Manager
Christine Fall Production Secretary
Karl Willim Driver
Horst Knechtel Assistant Camera
John Salter Sound Assistant
Name Title
Hanns Eckelkamp Producer
Volker Canaris Producer
Wolf-Dietrich Brücker Producer
Michael Fengler Producer
Organization Category Person
Academy Awards Best Actor Günter Pfitzmann Nominated
Cannes Film Festival Best Supporting Actress Hildegard Knef Nominated
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Reviews

Geronimo1967
7.0

With the defeat of the Nazis looming large, "Maria" (Hanna Schygulla) marries her sweet-heart "Hermann" (Klaus Löwitch) before he is promptly sent off to the front and she loses all trace of him. With her nation now in ruins, she has no way of surviving and so has to adapt by using her wits, guile a ... nd even her body to keep alive. Fortunately, she alights on an American soldier who enables her to keep her head above water but she spurns anything more permanent as, even when told of his death, she refuses to abandon hope that "Hermann" will return. The thrust of this story continues for many a year as she begins to hone her skills of successfully combining satisfaction for others as well as herself with an increasing improvement in her circumstances. Sooner or later, though, one of these men will prove less gullible and/or lovestruck and her secret might just bring her new life tumbling down before she manages to reunite with an husband whom she's not even sure is still alive! This is a great looking drama that takes us on quite an emotionally turbulent trip into the debris of a city and a culture that saw "Maria" - like so many other hausfrau, left without any means of support as the Allies took control and struggled to deal with their own significant logistic problems. Schygulla delivers powerfully as a woman who must think on her feet to put bread on the table and a roof (or at least part of one) over her head. She's not by nature ruthless but when needs must she realises that she can rely on nobody but herself. Fassbender cleverly uses the screenplay and the bombed-out city-scape to create characters that do illicit a degree of counterintuitive sympathy. In may ways, she is a victim but will she accept that status? Her society gradually becomes akin to the phoenix and the ashes, and her determination not to be left behind is emotively captured over the two hours we spend with her and some equally ill-equipped destitute German people gradually becoming just ein bischen optimistic. It doesn't address the post-war politics of directly, but there are a few more oblique comments to add a further elements of realism to this quite poignantly written drama that marries disaster, a little humour and a great deal of fortitude.

Sep 13, 2024