The title is also translated (from German) as "The Longing of Veronika Voss," which is probably the better title. It's the last of the trilogy released although (according to wikipedia) the second of the trilogy--apparently Lola was marked "BRD 3" when it was released the year earlier--which was how Fassbinder "announced" that the movies were a trilogy. So I'm sort of watching them in order, while still out of order. . . . .
This one was different in that it was in black and white and did some very interesting things in terms of light. But the film carries the same thematic element of a very disturbed, desperate woman post-WWII. Veronika Voss is an aging movie star, formerly close friends with Goebbels (although this is only briefly mentioned), who has become addicted to morphine and, therefore, dependent upon her "doctor." Voss gets a (sort-of dimwitted) sports writer entangled in her life which she pathetically tries to make glamorous again--complete with a movie role playing the mother to the newest actress on the scene.
There is also an odd appearance of the actor Gunther Kaufmann--he is an American GI/morphine dealer in this movie but was a random, belligerent American GI on the train in The Marriage of Maria Braun and apparently is a GI in Lola . . . . . Why do all three have a random, black, American soldier? Oh, wait. I just looked him up. He was in most of Fassbinder's films because the latter was "madly in love" with Kauffman and they carried on a long long affair. Here's more: http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Gunther_Kaufmann/187231
The movie reeks of Sunset Blvd. but is better than the earlier movie, in my opinion. If nothing else, see it for the play of light and dark.
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