The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant story
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (German: Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant) is a 1972 German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, based on his own play. The film has an all-female cast, and it is set in the home of the narcissistic protagonist Petra von Kant. It follows the changing dynamics in her relationships with the other women. Petra's story is told in a theater- like fashion in four different acts, each depicting the states of mind of the main character hinted visually by her clothes and hair. The film was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival.
21 total · 1 choice · 14 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| obsessive love | choice | Petra explained her obsession with possessing Karin |
| alcohol abuse | major | Karin spoke of her alcoholic dad, Petra admonished Karin then drank excessively herself |
| coping with an overbearing jerk | major | Petra acted like so to Marlene; Karin acted like so to Petra |
| coping with getting dumped | major | Petra was ceremoniously dumped by Karin, and took to the bottle |
| depression | major | Petra became depressed and drank excessively after Karin left her |
| disintegrating romantic relationship | major | we heard of past break-ups, and then we saw Karin break up with Petra |
| female sexuality | major | all women spoke at length about their romantic feelings |
| femme fatale | major | Karin explained that she seduced and used men (and Petra) for her own purposes |
| husband and wife | major | Petra spoke of her ex husbands at length and other marriages were compared and contrasted |
| lesbianism | major | Petra proclaimed her love for Karin and they embarked on a relationship; Petra's mother thought a woman loving another woman was mighty queer |