Bolwieser (1977)

A woman destroys her civil-servant husban by adultery during Hitler's rise in Germany.

From memory: Congenial adaptation of the Oskar Maria Graf novel meticulously dissects petty bourgeois society and ideology at a time just before the Nazi takeover of the country; an intense melodrama with excellent cast from Fassbinder's actors troupe. 

Maltin**1/2: "Studied, stylized look...Some telling moments, and fine performances, but awfully slow going."

 

Liebeskonzil (1982)

 

The playwright Oskar Panizzi was imprisoned by a Bavarian court in 1895 and committed to an insane asylum in 1904, for the rest of his life. The film covers his trial and a performance of his play.

From memory: Werner Schroeter's variation on Oscar Panizza's infamous drama is not an adaptation, but rather a depiction of the artist's fate fighting against a bigot state censorship, a bit dry and outdated topic, but the stage scenes are quite colorful and grotesque. Ironically, the film was banned in Austria for its blasphemy and is still not available to this day.

 

 

Engel aus Eisen (1981)

The story of a Berlin gang of thieves led by juvenile Werner Gladow during the time of the Berlin Blockade 1948-49.

From memory: A crime drama, wonderfully photographed in black and white, with an ensemble of some of Germany's best actors, tells a true story with great period details, but is at times a bit over-stylized.