LILI MARLEEN

Germany, 1981, 120 minutes, Colour.
Hanna Schygulla, Giancarlo Giannini, Mel Ferrer, Christine Kauffman, Udo Keir.
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Lili Marleen is one of the most accessible of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's films. Having established himself in the '70s and being a prolific writer and director of films which were social criticisms of post-war Germany as well as being modelled on popular American directors like Douglas Sirk, Fassbinder achieved universal regard. Before his untimely death in the '80s, he made a number of films which were more lavish in budget and scale. Lili Marleen is a re-creation of the war years ( and resembles Istvan Szabo's Mephisto in its picture of a star being used by the Nazi regime and having to make judgments of conscience).

The film shows a Swiss family and a German singer involved in the Nazi regime and the saving of Jews. It also speculates on the popular song 'Lili Marlene', its growing popularity during the war and its being used by Hitler (despite the opposition of Goebels). Hana Schygulla, who appeared in a number of Fassbinder's films, is very good as Willie, the singer who gets caught up in the propaganda machine. Giancarlo Giannini is the Swiss Jew whom she loves but who is involved in smuggling people from Germany. Mel Ferrer is his father. Regulars from Fassbinder's films are in the supporting cast.

The film is interesting in its creation of atmosphere, interaction of character, paralleling plot with many familiar war films as well has having a collage of battle sequences. The musical score incorporates melodies from the period and uses, extensively, the song 'Lili Marlene'.

1. The work of Fassbinder? His cinematic style, his German content, critical themes?

2. An atmosphere of realism: Switzerland, Germany, Berlin, the theatre, the war sequences? The stylised presentation of situations and characters? Musical score, contemporary songs, the use of 'Lili Marlene' throughout?

3. The popularity of the song, its being well-known internationally? The story of its origins, the story of the song, its use, its fluctuations in popularity during the war, the enthusiasm of the Nazi regime, the response of the troops? The irony of its being used to torture Robert? The variety of renditions? A motif throughout the film?

4. Europe 1938, Swiss families and their concern about Jews in Germany? The Nazi party in power? The attacks on neighbouring European countries? An atmosphere of tension and uncertainty? Elegant surfaces, inner tensions? The Jews and their dangers? The span of the war? The fortunes of the German army (and the sequences in Russia)? The end with the picture of an emerging post-war Germany? A recapitulation of the war years?

5. Robert and Willie and their affair? The bonds between the two? Willie as a singer, her performances, her ease with Robert and love for him? Robert and his family, the constrictions, his ambitions with the piano? The secrecy of his missions into Germany?

6. The picture of his family: relationships, control, Robert's father and his strictness, ambitions, injunctions on his son? Summoning Robert? Robert's reactions? His interviews with Willie and devices to get rid of her? Aaron and his being the controller of the missions? Robert and his piano-playing? Love for his mother? His father's getting him to go to the party? Plans for marriage? Sending Willie to Germany? The difficulties at the border?

7. Robert and his devotion to his family, his work in Germany, the dangers, meeting with Miriam? Taking Willie into Germany, meeting the woman in Munich? The difficulties at the border, his return to get her, his father's manoeuvres? His love for Willie but suspicions? The phone call before her opening? His coming to see her when she was recording? Her visit to his apartment? His love for her, his false identity and appearance, his being captured, interrogated? The discovery of his identity? The torture with the photos of Willie and the broken record of 'Lili Marlene'? Meeting Willie under surveillance and the nonchalance between the two? His being returned to Switzerland? Conducting the orchestra, his loss of faith in Willie, marrying Miriam? The encores and his decision to take them? His learning the truth about Willie's helping the cause, losing her? A symbol of the opportunities of the 20th. century - service, selfishness, ambition? Love?

8. His father and his hold over him, the strategies for getting rid of Willie, the contacts with the Germans, his son's release, the blowing up of the German troops? His concealing the truth about Willie and the mission? His final smile at Robert's concert? Robert's mother, her love for her son, preparing his make-up for the mission? Miriam and the Jewish families in Switzerland?

9. The German connections, Dreeitz and the contacts, getting Willie, the Commander, the plans about the film, their deaths?

10. The portrait of Willie: as a singer, the offer of the Gestapo for success if she came to Germany, the affair with Robert and her love for him, Aaron and his visits, her going to see Robert's father, believing him? Robert and his work as a pianist? and returning at the end of the film? The visit to Munich, the difficulties at the border, her panic, her not being able to return? The debts? Going to Bernt and his mother? Her job as a singer, the piano-player, her debut and the background of Lili Marlene, Robert's phone call and her shouting? The song and the fight erupting? The SS deciding to use the song? Henkel and his power, the long recording and its tensions,(and Robert's visit)? Goebels disapproval, Hitler's approval and Willie's going to meet him – her dressing up, the light emanating from the room? Her being in favour, the singing of the song several times and the many collages of war action and deaths? The effect on her, becoming a celebrity, the wealthy home, her pianist and the friendship? The performances in the stadium, signing autographs? The encounter with the underground, her going on tour and smuggling the film, the help of Eric and the tensions of people spying on her? Eric and his devotion? The final dangers, Robert's arrest and the interrogation, her pretending not to know him? Her attempted suicide? Henkel at her bedside, the phone call to Robert? The end of the war, the escape with Eric? her eagerness, her joy at Robert's success, the encounter with Miriam, her disillusionment? Wandering out into an uncertain post-war future?

11. The portrait of Henkel and the SS, his charm, the meeting with Willie in Switzerland, her going to him in Germany, getting her the job, the record, the use of the record, his playing politics? His suspicions of Willie, having her followed? Failure to find the film? Eric and his assistance, his devotion, helping her with the film? The final escape? The background presence of Hitler, his dominance, his ethos?

12, The portrait of the German soldiers, in battle, listening to Lilli Marlene, the effect in the trenches, at the stadium? The putting of the bands and the raising of the bands? The irony of the free radio broadcasting information about Willie and her plight?

13. Fassbinder's interpretation of the war, the German perspective? The irony of the ending and Fassbinder's continued ?interest in postwar Germany?