Movie

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant

1972 · 124 min

A claustrophobic, emotionally brutal chamber piece that unfolds like a slow-motion car crash of desire and humiliation.

Tagline: Sex is the ultimate weapon.
Overview: Petra von Kant is a successful fashion designer -- arrogant, caustic, and self-satisfied. She mistreats Marlene (her secretary, maid, and co-designer). Enter Karin, a 23-year-old beauty who wants to be a model. Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in.

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How it feels

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Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
campystrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: obsession
power
isolation
identity
betrayal
Places: home
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: single location
nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	1
Humour	2
Realism	6
Romance	5
Tension	6
Darkness	7
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	8

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Details

Genres: drama, romance
Directed by: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Written by: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Starring: Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake, Eva Mattes, Gisela Fackeldey, Irm Hermann
Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus
Runtime: 124 min
Country: Germany
Languages: German

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The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant

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