The Marriage of Maria Braun - Movie Review Example

Maria's former life is non-existent. Her virginal entrance into marriage is an assumption. She is perceived as America unexplored. Where did she learn her "tricks of the trade" As Germany struggles to recapture some semblance of power in the late 1940's the film "The Marriage of Maria Braun" by Fassbinder, depicts the stages of war and a relationship that begs the question of her marriage; is it legitimate or indeed a farce Maria Braun played by a bountiful Hannah Shygulla represents a virginal America.

Remember that America is pulled into the war predominantly by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. America, in all reality, played the role of maiden well, forgetting its previous conquests and meddlings all for the sake of democracy. In the first scene, the audience is asked to grapple with the destruction of the world around the young couple. There is destruction amidst babies crying, armory sounds, guns sounding and fires. Maria loses her husband to the war and America loses its oil.

Both come out in bad shape. Maria gives away her most sentimental possessions to save her marriage as to America fighting for oil under the guise of democracy. Recalling once the olden days of George Washington, when the policy of neutrality was upheld, oil was an all encompassing monster of a thing to deal with considering embargos and such. Maria gives away her wedding dress to get a few potatoes literally, as she did in the movie, and ultimately the Germans end up "French fried". All this occurs in the second scene where she implies that rations during the war were as rare as the men.

The nurse questions the validity of her marriage. Japan drops the bomb on Pearle Harbor. Is the America we know as strong as they boast How far will America go for oil and democracy. Mrs. Braun gives away everything to save her marriage until which point she resorts to giving away herself. The peddling and the hustling begins with a dress. She walks to a dark vestibule and negotiates for the purchase of a new fancy dress. Her German peddler is also selling books. She buys the dress.

Is this dame sincere in her purchase. What is a dress to the viewer To the keen intellectual eye it is a treaty that works itself as the Allied Forces. She seals the purchase by bringing all her longtime friends and aquaintences along in her world who are not sure whether or not to believe that her husband will return. What is profound about Wildenhahn was that he tried to capture the "truth of the everyday" by using stereotypes as central characters. Where or what would America be without the element of racial division and the element of prostitution.

These issues are touchy in Western Culture but still warrant delving into in conversations at forums, colleges and universities where change can start in America. Filmmakers such as he, rallied for the right to address sensitive issues and boldly at that. Wildehahn knew when pushing the envelope how far to go. His movie, set in post WWII Germany had not the censorship issues that others had. Such as was the case with Group 47 formed in protest to the liberal-left literary journal Der Ruf in 1947.

And to boot he pursued the audiences point of view and not necessarily his own.In the movie "Who needs Whom," (1972) the filmmaker, struggling with issues of audience and participation devised a strategy of a cabaret show to propel the audience