Berlin Alexanderplatz (television)
| Berlin Alexanderplatz | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Directed by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Produced by | |
| Written by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Based on |
Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Music by | Peer Raben |
| Cinematography | Xaver Schwarzenberger |
| Edited by | Juliane Lorenz |
| Distributed by | TeleCulture |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
|
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | German |
Berlin Alexanderplatz (German: [bɛɐˈliːn ˌalɛˈksandɐplats]), originally broadcast in 1980, is a 14-part West German television miniseries, adapted and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder from the Alfred Döblin novel of the Berlin Alexanderplatz. It stars Günter Lamprecht, Hanna Schygulla, Barbara Sukowa, Elisabeth Trissenaar and Gottfried John. The complete series is 15½ hours long. In 1983, it was released theatrically in the United States, where a theatre would show two or three parts per night. It garnered a cult following in the US and was eventually released on VHS and broadcast on PBS and then Bravo.
It was a co-production between the German Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Bavaria Film GmbH and the Italian network RAI. Production of the film at the Bavaria Film Studios took nearly a year. Director Fassbinder dreamed of making a 'parallel' film specifically for theatrical distribution after the completion of this series. The cast list he made for this fantasy included Gérard Depardieu as Franz Biberkopf and Isabelle Adjani as Mieze.
1: The Punishment Begins Berlin, 1928. Franz Biberkopf is released after serving four years in Tegel prison for killing his girlfriend Ida. After settling into his old apartment he visits Minna, Ida’s sister. Minna succumbs to his forceful advances. In a flashback we see Franz kill Ida with a cream whip after correctly suspecting she was about to leave him. Franz later runs into his old friend Meck and has a drink with him in Max’s bar, a local place. There he meets Lina Przybilla, a young Polish woman, who moves in with him. He receives notification from the Berlin Police that he is barred from living in certain Berlin districts and surrounding municipalities, under the threat of a fine or imprisonment, Biberkopf places himself under the supervision of a charity called Prisoners' Aid, to which he must report once a month, and remain in employment. By doing this, he is able to remain in Berlin.
...
Wikipedia