Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss [Veronika Voss] (1982)

(On Cable TV, May 2020) I had to make my way to Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s filmography at one point or another, despite my misgivings about engaging with a filmmaker often described as dour and depressing. At least I’m getting representative work with Veronika Voss, as it tracks the downfall of a former actress with a Nazi past against the backdrop of 1955 Berlin. Add a sports journalist as confidante and lover, as well as a devious neurologist as antagonist and, in theory, you have the ingredients of a good thriller. Alas, this should have been quite a bit better. The pacing is deathly dull and there’s little propulsive narrative drive to it all. This being said, there are a few touches of directing that I liked—unusual screen transitions, and a striking use of black-and-white aesthetics: in a few scenes, our protagonist is the only dark shape in mostly-white environments, clearly highlighting how out of place he is. Still, I found Veronika Voss unnecessarily long, even at less than two hours, and making little use out of promising plot elements.