spoilers spoilers without doubt best film rainer werner fassbinder ever made even marvelous script film enhanced great performance hanna schygulla film starts maria schygulla hermann braun klaus lowitsch getting married bombs continue fall hermann shipped towards waning days war maria mother sister must scrape survive maria decides get job dancerprostitute club caters american gis meets black army soldier named bill greg eagles start see one another steady basis maria hears husband hermann died war gets serious bill one day getting intimate bill see hermann door died enters room scuffle occurs maria breaks bottle bills head dies hermann takes blame sentenced long term jail maria tells succeed something get out war ended germany must rebuild one day train maria meets karl oswald ivan desny successful businessman textiles uses charms get job maria determined well climbs corporate ladder becomes karls mistress tells never marry love her hermann gets jail goes canada try get everything maria done since locked upbr br spoiler alertbr br one day karl dies leaves maria everything maria buys house hermann finally comes home wife ready start theyre marriage even though married time now maria leaves gas stove house explodes still itbr br there many interesting things film one movies studied talked great lengths like fassbinder films use color used interesting way film begins tones brown gray represent war torn germany maria starts become successful change bright rich colors like red white rebuilding germany sounds construction used backdrop film stays focused exploits maria fassbinder want sounds rebuilding remind us going germany time hanna schygulla never better performance key success film lesser actress would another interesting film schygulla strong performance elevates film elite status schygulla shows maria determined smart time uses beauty femininity get wants embarrassed feel guilty fassbinder wanted show maria woman practically sells soul survive schygulla nominated academy award gave great performance stand test time fassbinder appears film peddler mother lilo pempeit plays frau ehmke heard many things ending film whether maria purposely left gas on later bathroom running water wrist appears sad speculation think im wrong please email me think overly excited hermann home left accident remember putting dress reason read point learns hermann karl become friendly without knowledge think felt everything done nothing thats reason bathroom scene house explodes accident think reason fassbinder ending like show anyone would sell soul business living fassbinder fascinated survivors also incredibly passionate view maria cant ways fascinating film