Despair (1978) ( Despair - Eine Reise ins Licht ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, Blu-Ray, Reg.B Import - France ]

If you want fun and games don't watch this film. As the title suggests, it is not for the faint hearted. Dirk Bogarde was the right actor to portray the outwardly calm, successful business man, who rapidly helter-skeltered into despair, and madness. Sir Dirk has only to raise an eyebrow, shed a tear for you to be on his side. His instinctive acting hold you spellbound, throughly absorbed in his geninus. If you want to see a great film, try and find this movie. It is rare at the moment, but is due to be released as a re-mastered dvd in the summer.

"Despair" is a sublime meditation about existence, and, its complex meaning. This might as well be one of the most atypical movies ever directed by R.W. Fassbinder, it has more of an International co-production flavor, and, handsome look, definitely more period sets, costumes, and, make up, and, it looks like it was shot in a much longer, and, more "mainstream" shooting schedules, than other Fassbinder's movies (some of the better ones were notoriously shot over a 3 weeks spawn, but this seems a film produced with a more regular scheme, and, obviously a larger budget, and, international cast and crew! And, it is especially thanks to the casting of the quite unforgettable and of course English speaking, Dirk Bogarde, as the conflicted and enigmatic lead, the actor embodies with painful sarcasm, giving to his difficult, multi layered role a class completely out of the ordinary and a presence that is as penetrating as it is quite haunting, with an ensemble of exceptional actors such as the French Andrea Ferreol, in a very unusual movie appearance. The incredible script by Tom Stoppard is wildly ironic, and, so is the tone of this compelling if complex movie capable to deal with extremely profound sentiments, madness, despair, and, finally, 1930's Nazi's rise to power, still always maintaining a wonderful stalking impact and visual ground breaking choices. The whole film suffers at times of the more usual, much stronger style of its genius director, while, at the same time, it does indeed present a whole new key to a quite diverse interpretation of Fassbinder's personal vision, and work, who seemingly was striving here to shoot in a contest of almost much more international cinema, thinking also to wider and diversified audiences. While the result is not always completely accomplished, it is still a stunning movie, rich of a saturated cinematography that perfectly evokes the times and the places, while, if Fassbinder's usual genius may here seem a little compromised, it is nonetheless worthy the name of one of the most poetic, innovative, and wildly innovative directors of all times.

Out of all the hard-to-find movies in the days of VHS & then, up until summer 2011, DVD, 'Despair' was one of the rarest. Now Olive Films have given us a beautiful transfer which is one example of how brilliant and perfect a Blu-ray disc can and should look. With the documentary of over 70 mins, this Blu-ray is well worth it! And for those of you who don't have an American Zone A Blu-ray player, don't worry, this disc is ZONE FREE!

The film is basically about "disassociation", at least that's the term used by Bogarde's character--the phenomenon of persons feeling like they are standing outside themselves. This theme manifests itself in self-alienation, lack of sense of self, and confusion of identity. Bogarde's portrayal of a Russian emigre factory owner in Berlin who is psychologically disintegrating is outstanding. Despite the overall depressing tone of the film, there is quite a bit of dry, dark humor sprinkled throughout: Bogarde says to his treasured airhead wife, "If you were smarter you would lose your carnality." And to his employee who shows up at work in a Nazi uniform, "Have you joined the Boy Scouts?" The cinematography is excellent, with a good number of the shots set up in frameworks of interior windows that are as complex as a funhouse hall of mirrors and serve to emphasize the confusion Bogarde's character is experiencing. Well worth several repeat viewings.

Dirk Bogarde does an excellent job in portraying a once-Hungarian, now German, who inherited a chocolate factory (do NOT think Willy Wonka!)from his father-in law. It's the early '30s; times are getting harder and harder. He's married to a perhaps attractive to him at one time (but not to him anymore--if ever) vapid German Jew, and is intelligent enough to see that--times will get even worse. He hates his life, increasingly, and more and more--stands apart from it (at the beginning of the film, while he is making love to his wife, he sees himself sitting against the wall of the room, observing the operation). He seems to relate to no one, and perhaps doesn't know how to, or even want to. Gradually, he sinks into insanity. He thinks he has hatched a scheme to make a "killing,"--but he hasn't. He mearly kills.The film is so dark, and angular, and (occasionally) arty, that only Bogarde's acting (the rest of the cast is good, too) makes it really worth owning--but it should be seen, for that reason alone. As often with depictions of the insane, one is occasionally confused as to what is really happening, and what the protagonist THINKS is happening.It's a very cold movie, and there's nothing to laugh at. For instance: early in the film, the protagonist has travelled some distance to do business with another chocolate manufacturer--and, for some reason, starts telling him a little about his life. He mentions his wife's dowrey--her weight in gold coin. "Upon examination," he says coldly, scornfully, despairingly, "the gold coins proved to be chocolate." Ordinarily, this line might evoke laughter, but because of the way he says it, it doesn't.There is nothing to love. The sub-title ("A Journey into Light") is almost diametrically opposed to the truth of the story.My VHS tape played perfectly, with no halts, fading, or extraneous background noises.