Despair

– Germany in the early 1930s. Against the backdrop of the Nazis' rise, Hermann Hermann, a Russian émi..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
7.30 / 10
Duration:
One Hour and 59 Minutes
Release Year:
1978
Despair (1978)

Germany in the early 1930s. Against the backdrop of the Nazis' rise, Hermann Hermann, a Russian émigré and chocolate magnate, goes slowly mad. It begins with his seating himself in a chair to observe himself making love to his wife, Lydia, a zaftig empty-headed siren who is also sleeping with her cousin. Hermann is soon given to intemperate outbursts at his workers, other businessmen, and strangers. Then, he meets Felix, an itinerant laborer, whom he delusionally believes looks exactly like himself. Armed with a new life insurance policy, he hatches an elaborate plot in the belief it will free him of all his worries.

Story Timeline:
Producing Country:
Filming Locations:
Genre:

Despair (1978) - Trailer

Release Date:

20 Sep 1978

Language:

English

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writer:

Tom Stoppard (screenplay), Vladimir Nabokov (novel)

Main Actors:

Dirk Bogarde, Andréa Ferréol, Klaus Löwitsch, Volker Spengler

Plot:

Germany in the early 1930s. Against the backdrop of the Nazis' rise, Hermann Hermann, a Russian émigré and chocolate magnate, goes slowly mad. It begins with his seating himself in a chair to observe himself making love to his wife, Lydia, a zaftig empty-headed siren who is also sleeping with her cousin. Hermann is soon given to intemperate outbursts at his workers, other businessmen, and strangers. Then, he meets Felix, an itinerant laborer, whom he delusionally believes looks exactly like himself. Armed with a new life insurance policy, he hatches an elaborate plot in the belief it will free him of all his worries.

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
65%