The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
| The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Produced by |
Michael Fengler (Filmverlag der Autoren) |
| Written by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Starring |
Margit Carstensen Hanna Schygulla Irm Hermann Katrin Schaake Eva Mattes Gisela Fackeldey |
| Music by |
Giuseppe Verdi The Platters |
| Cinematography | Michael Ballhaus |
| Edited by | Thea Eymèsz |
| Distributed by | New Yorker Films (USA) |
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Release date
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Running time
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124 minutes |
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | German |
| Budget | DEM 325,000 (estimated) |
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (German: Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant) is a 1972 German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, based on his own play. The film has an all-female cast, and it is set in the home of the protagonist Petra von Kant. It follows the changing dynamics in her relationships with the other women. The film was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival.
Petra von Kant (Carstersen) is a prominent fashion designer based in Bremen. The film is almost totally restricted to her apartment's bedroom, decorated by a huge reproduction of Poussin's Midas and Bacchus (c.1630), which depicts naked and partially clothed men. The room also contains numerous life-size mannequins for her work, though only her assistant Marlene (Hermann) is shown using them.
Petra's marriages have ended in death or divorce. Her first husband Pierre was a great love, who died in a car accident while Petra was pregnant; the second began the same way, but ended in disgust. Petra lives with Marlene, another designer, whom she treats as a slave, and this relationship reveals Petra's sadistic, codependent tendencies.
Von Kant is shown being awoken by Marlene. She begins her day and gets dressed while her assistant attends to her. Von Kant makes a phone call to her mother, makes demands of Marlene (including slow-dancing), and dons a brown wig just before she receives a visitor.
Petra talks to Sidonie (Schaake), her cousin, about her male relationships. Meanwhile, Marlene does the work and acts as hostess. Karin Thimm (Schygulla), Sidonie's friend, joins the women. Karin, newly returned to Germany after residing in Sydney for five years, is a desirable 23-year-old woman. Petra, immediately attracted to Karin at this first meeting, suggests Karin becomes a model. Karin agrees to return the following day.
Petra quickly falls madly in love with Karin. The next day, with Marlene showing clearer signs of frustration, but still typing, Petra, now wearing a larger and dark wig, offers to support Karin while she trains to be a model. Karin's husband has remained in Sydney, though Petra is only momentarily put off by this revelation. The women soon show their incompatibility. Petra had a happy childhood and came from a home where the good things in life were always stressed. Karin's father was a toolmaker, and she always felt neglected by her parents. Petra loved mathematics and algebra at school, but Karin could never understand arithmetic and the point of substituting letters for numbers. Petra has a daughter, whom she rarely sees, but reassures herself that her daughter is at the best possible boarding school.
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