Fontane Effi Briest (1974)

75% of critics liked it
(8 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(852 ratings)

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's adaptation of a late 19th-century novel by Theodor Fontane is an austere period piece that may be the least characteristic of the German director's films. The titular heroine, played by Fassbinder regular Hanna Schygulla, is a 17-year-old girl forced into a loveless… More Rainer Werner Fassbinder's adaptation of a late 19th-century novel by Theodor Fontane is an austere period piece that may be the least characteristic of the German director's films. The titular heroine, played by Fassbinder regular Hanna Schygulla, is a 17-year-old girl forced into a loveless marriage with an old count. Living as the aristocrat's trophy wife, Effi endures her provincial existence unhappily. Her circumstances lead to a brief affair with a young lieutenant that attracts the attention of the townspeople, but not her unsuspecting husband's. Years later, however, the count discovers the love letters between his wife and her lover. As dictated by convention, he challenges the lieutenant to a duel and throws his wife out of their home. The shamed Effi is forced to live by herself, shunned by society and spurned by her family. Effi eventually returns to her unsympathetic parents, who reluctantly take in their disgraced daughter. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1974 Wide
On DVD: Mar 11, 2003
Studio: Wellspring Media Inc.

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
It's visually beguiling -- its cameramen having found shades of gray between black and white I'm not sure I've seen before -- and it is performed by the Fassbinder stock company with the precision and style one seldom finds outside the legitimate theater.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
The slow, deliberate pace is sometimes taxing, but this story of a 16-year-old girl locked in the boredom of a loveless marriage is perfectly suited to Fassbinder's stifling mise-en-scene.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Compelling viewing for the delicate way it unfolds and leaves a tingling feeling there's a lot more going on than it seems.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
In spite of achieved small-budget period flavor, the film is ponderously top-heavy in its setting up and complication.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
One of the finest films to come out of postwar Germany.
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
The film demonstrates not only Fassbinder's usual superb technical control and ability to elicit superbly nuanced performances from his actors, but also an unprecedented affinity for literary adaptation and historical sensitivity.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
It's Fassbinder's arm's-length direction that makes Effi Briest come off as cold and detached instead of calculating and sad.