Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 'The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant' (1972)
Her Head in FilmsOctober 07, 202501:37:58

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 'The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant' (1972)

In this episode, I talk about Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s 1972 film, "The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant." The film tells the story of Petra, a successful fashion designer in a complicated and obsessive relationship with a younger woman named Karin. Set almost entirely in Petra’s apartment, the film unravels the entanglements of power, desire, and emotional dependency.


This episode is one of my most personal. I reflect on the ways the film mirrors an experience I had with unrequited love—an experience that consumed me for over two years. I talk about the madness and chaos of desire, the pain of not being chosen, and the way obsession can distort how we see ourselves and others.


Note: This episode was recorded before my mother's death. That is why I talk about her in the present tense.


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My Sources:

• Mise en Scène as Power Struggle by Jonathan Rosenbaum (https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/2023/12/mise-en-scene-as-power-struggle-the-bitter-tears-of-petra-von-kant/)
• Melodrama and the Remake: The Cinematic Influence of Douglas Sirk on Fassbinder (https://www.filminquiry.com/melodrama-remake-fassbinder)
• Hanna Schygulla on working with Fassbinder (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/27/rainer-werner-fassbinder-bfi-season-hanna-schygulla-interview)
• What is New German Cinema? (https://beverlyboy.com/filmmaking/what-is-new-german-cinema/)
• New German Cinema (https://cinemawavesblog.com/movements-page2/new-german-cinema/)