Broadcast on German TV in the early 70s but never before released in the U.S., Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s five-part miniseries arrives like a gift from the movie gods. Not only is it a major work from the trailblazing German filmmaker—indeed, his most ambitious project prior to Berlin Alexanderplatz in 1980—it also showcases a side of Fassbinder revealed only fleetingly in his films. Generous and humane, the series may be the only Fassbinder work whose characters are, for the most part, well-adjusted and happy. That’s not to say that Eight Hours is sentimental; rather, it presents Fassbinder’s usual themes (sex, love, longing, and class relations) in a different light, illuminating hidden corners of his oeuvre. Continue reading>>
Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day
7 hours 58 min • 1972
