The Bridegroom, the Actress, and the Pimp
Three sequences are linked together in this short film by Straub; the first sequence is a long tracking shot from a car of prostitutes plying their trade on the night-time streets of Germany; the second is a staged play, cut down to 10 minutes by Straub and photographed in a single take; the final sequence covers the marriage of James and Lilith, and Lilith’s subsequent execution of her pimp, played by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. "The film is a look entirely at Western decadence" - Jean-Marie Straub.
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📋 Film Details
| Original Title | Der Bräutigam, die Komödiantin und der Zuhälter |
| Year | 1968 |
| Country | Germany |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| Director | Jean-Marie Straub |
| Runtime | 24 min. |
| Rating | TMDB: 4.3/10 (13 votes) |
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🎬 MovieFinder's Take
Straub constructs the film as a triptych, each segment a distinct statement relying on radical form: documentary tracking, theatrical staging, and parabolic drama. The director explores the boundaries between reality and performance through an austere, minimalist cinematic language.
What lingers after viewing is not plot but the hypnotic pull of long takes and the chilling clarity of the director's critique of a society as spectacle. It's a demanding yet gripping dissection of ritual, violence, and art. — MovieFinder Editorial
Director: Jean-Marie Straub
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In silent focus, treating it as a meditation on stark, black-and-white imagery.
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