Brash, brazen, and vicious, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Beware of A Holy Whore routinely oscillates between utter-chaos and tepid-lethargy, detailing the semi-autobiographical experiences Fassbinder had while making Whity earlier in the same year. Focusing on the behind-the-scenes dysfunction of the filmmaking process, Beware of A Holy Whore features dry wit and deadpan humor which certainly won't appeal to all viewers, but for those willing to give the film a chance, the film offers a singular look into the chaotic nature of filmmaking, finding the humor in a situation where egos routinely run high and creative types work together to create a singular vision. While films about the filmmaking process tend to be one of my least favorite genres, due primarily to their pretentious nature and self-importance they almost always breed, Beware The Holy Whore is a film that bucks that trend, divulging into near self-parody throughout its running time, as Fassbinder shows an ability to laugh at the absurdity of the creative process, capturing the chaotic nature of a helliish production. Beware The Holy Whore is a love letter to cinema, displaying the passion, pain, and obsession it takes to create art, detailing how artists themselves fall victim to the same emotions, insecurities, and ego-driven decisions as everyone else, with Fassbinder displaying this through the chaotic nature of his semi-autobiographical narrative. The film doesn't seem to suggest that this has to be the norm, but it also captures how creativity tends to messy, pinpointing how the filmmakers who create fall victim to the same shortcomings of humanity as everyone else. Technically speaking, Beware The Holy Whore is a beautifully composed film, with Fassbinder's penchant for carefully staged sequences of chaos, use of mirrors, and vibrant color palette bringing this chaotic dance to life, juxtaposing the ugliness of these egocentric characters with the beautifully-rendered photography. Beware of A Holy Whore manages to touch on the communal aspects of filmmaking, detailing how jealousy, ego, competition, and despair routinely make their way onto this chaotic production, detailing how the communal experience of filmmaking is rarely as straightforward and civil as many suggest. Beware of the Holy Whore doesn't suggest these things are necessary inherent in the filmmaking process, nor does it perpetuate the idea that they are completely avoidable, instead the film merely focuses on Fassbinder's failed production in all its chaotic glory, being a film the sees one of the most respected filmmakers in the entire world focus on his own struggles as a creative, exhibiting the pain and fragility of the creative process while touching on the profound desire in which all creatives should have to create something truthful about the world in which we inhabit.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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