What It's About:

In “The Marriage of Maria Braun,” an opportunistic newlywed (Schygulla) convinced her husband has perished on the Russian front struggles to remake herself, taking a job with a wealthy importer (Ivan Desny), who becomes her lover. “Veronika Voss” tells the satirical story of the titular film actress (Zech), who becomes a self-destructive morphine addict when her fame recedes. And in “Lola,” a cabaret dancer (Sukowa) seduces a by-the-book building inspector (Mueller-Stahl) who is stunned to find his cherished sweetheart performing in a brothel.

Why I Love It:

Three women make their way through various ethical and romantic dilemmas in Fassbinder’s celebrated trilogy, which casts a gimlet eye on the “Economic Miracle” of Germany’s postwar period, questioning the moral character and integrity of his native land through a memorable trio of female protagonists. “Maria Braun” was Fassbinder’s most commercially successful venture, displaying the vivid powers of his social critique and masterful, visually stylized handling of the melodrama genre (think Douglas Sirk). But in tandem with the less-seen “Lola” and “Veronika Voss,” these films collectively show Fassbinder at the height of his technical and creative powers, as he takes a brutally honest but also compassionate view of desire, ambition, and faded glory.