Despair (Despair - Eine Reise ins Licht)

Despair (Despair - Eine Reise ins Licht) (1978)

  • 69% of critics liked it
    (13 reviews)

  • 70% of users liked it
    (453 ratings)

Having made as many films as he had years, at 31, Rainer Werner Fassbinder essayed a slightly different approach for his 32nd film, Despair. Here, he uses a witty screenplay written by the well-known playwright Tom Stoppard, based on a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. Furthermore, the entire film, set in… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 59 min.
Directed By
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Written By
Vladimir Nabokov, Tom Stoppard
Genres
Art House & International, Drama
In Theaters
May 19, 1978 Wide
On DVD
Dec 30, 1988

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Brody, New Yorker

    Fassbinder films life in the cosseted class as a masque of glass and mirrors, replete with alluring deceptions and suave surfaces that belie volcanic passions.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    The Stoppard script is a joy for anyone who likes the English language.

  • Philip Kemp, Total Film

    Everything about Despair feels queasily off - the plot, the acting, the dialogue and the fussily over-decorated sets.

  • Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

    A superb surrealist noir.

  • Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

    Not one of [Fassbinder's] best.

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Stefanie C


    Personally, I think this is one of Bogarde's finest roles.

Cast

See full cast

facebook_logo

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

  • Discover movies your friends are watching
  • Keep track of what you want to see
  • Add your reviews to your Timeline