People watch this because it is the archetypal mid-period Rainer Werner Fassbinder film and forget that it was made for entertainment or at least a psychological presentation. If you are looking for Fassbinder a much better presentation is "Welt am Draht" or Welt am Draht (1973) TV Miniseries 1973 Not Rated 3h 32m.
The characters speak slow enough and clear enough that any German you may have picked up in school is clear and not slurred. I still had to use subtitles for some words but ignored them for the most part because whoever wrote the subtitles transliterated instead of word for word (and it can drive you up the wall.) Subtitles: Peter + Waltraut Green.
Even though there is music it is not a constant background noise that drowns out the voices. The closing scene is also done this to music.
There is a feel of a T. V. production rather than an art film. It is a little isotropic as it is all indoors. Notice only women; I suspect the same of the cats.
The film has that 1972 everyone smokes problem. Luckily, this production only has a gratuity light-up.
I watched the Criterion version with all the extras. The Extras (German with English subtitles) help explain what Fassbinder is trying to portray. Then you can go back and watch the movie again.
The characters speak slow enough and clear enough that any German you may have picked up in school is clear and not slurred. I still had to use subtitles for some words but ignored them for the most part because whoever wrote the subtitles transliterated instead of word for word (and it can drive you up the wall.) Subtitles: Peter + Waltraut Green.
Even though there is music it is not a constant background noise that drowns out the voices. The closing scene is also done this to music.
There is a feel of a T. V. production rather than an art film. It is a little isotropic as it is all indoors. Notice only women; I suspect the same of the cats.
The film has that 1972 everyone smokes problem. Luckily, this production only has a gratuity light-up.
I watched the Criterion version with all the extras. The Extras (German with English subtitles) help explain what Fassbinder is trying to portray. Then you can go back and watch the movie again.