Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0000972, Sun, 18 Feb 1996 08:21:59 -0800

Subject
Re: DESPAIR FILM QUERY (fwd)
Date
Body
From: Michael Cunningham <mcunn@melbpc.org.au>

At 07:37 PM 16/02/96 -0800, you wrote:
>From: Marianne Cotugno <mxc52@psu.edu>
>
>Does anyone know of work done on the novel Despair and the film directed by
>Fassbinder?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Marianne Cotugno
>
I don't know of any scholarly work on Despair (which IMHO is one of
Fassbinder's - and everyone else's - dreariest efforts) as such, but a
comment in "Love is colder than death - the life and times of Rainier Werner
Fassbinder" by Katz and Berling (London, Jonathan Cape, 1987) is
representative of critical theory:

' ... (Fassbinder) said, "If Eckelkamp forces me to make this movie
[_Lola_], Mutti, it will be the most expensive and the worst movie I've ever
made!"

'I couldn't help myself. I said, "You can't do that, Rainer Werner. You've
already made _Despair_."

'His mouth opened. He leapt to his feet. He shrieked. "At last I know what
kind of friend you are and what you think of my films. Please leave my house
at once!" ' (p. 174).

A great line, it must be admitted - if only the combination of VN, Stoppard,
Fassbinder and Bogarde could have done likewise.

Michael Cunningham
Systems Librarian, Peninsula Institute of TAFE
Fletcher Rd., Frankston, 3199, Victoria, AUSTRALIA
e-mail: mcunn@melbpc.org.au ph: + 61 3 9238-8375 fx: + 61 3 238-8433