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Despair (Original title)Eine Reise ins Licht (Alternative title)Desespoir (Alternative title)
Date: 1978 (Copyright)

Countries: Federal Republic of Germany, France

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Synopsis: A man, seeking his identity, commits murder both to rid himself of his double and of his dim-witted wife.Synopsis: Budget: c DM 6 000 000.

Genre:
Crime

Subject:
Homicide
Releases
Date: May 1978Country: Federal Republic of GermanyRelease type: unknownFormat: 35mm Film - Colour - Eastmancolor - SoundRuntime: 119 mins Length: 3265 MetresLanguage: English

Credits (42)
Production Company: Geria Film, Production Company: Bavaria Atelier GmbH, Production Company: Société Française de Production, Producer: Peter Märthesheimer, Production Executive: Lutz Hengst, Unit Manager: Wulf Gasthaus, Unit Manager: Don French, Lutz Winter, Production Supervisor: Dieter Minx, Assistant Director: Harry Baer, [Assistant Director (2nd)]: Stefan Zürcher, Script Supervisor: Elke Vogt, Screenplay: Tom Stoppard, Based on the novel 'Otchayanie' by: Vladimir Nabokov, Director of Photography: Michael Ballhaus, Camera Assistant: Horst Knechtel, Otto Kirchhoff, Stills Photography: Karl Heinz Vogelmann, Editor: Juliane Lorenz, Editor: Franz Walsch, Editor [English Version]: Reginald Beck, Assistant Editor: Christine Fritz, Production Designer: Rolf Zehetbauer, Art Director: Herbert Strabel, Art Director: Jochen Schumacher, Props: Klaus Meyenberg, Ulrich Wendt, Costumes: Dagmar Schauberger, Wardrobe: Georg Kuhn, Wardrobe: Karin Geuer, Make-up: Peter Knöpfle, Make-up: Anny Nöbauer, Music: Peer Raben, Sound Mixer: James Willis, Milan Bor, Boom Man: John Stevenson, [Dedicated] To: Antonin Artaud, [Dedicated] To: Vincent van Gogh, Unica Zürn, Dialogue Supervisor: Osman Ragheb, Publicity: Patricia Johnson
Cast (20)
Dirk Bogarde (Hermann Hermann), Andréa Ferréol (Lydia Hermann), Klaus Löwitsch (Felix Weber), Volker Spengler (Ardalion), Armin Meier (factory foreman/twins), Peter Kern (Müller), Adrian Hoven (Inspector Schelling), Alexander Allerson (Mayer), Hark Bohm (doctor), Roger Fritz (Inspector Braun), Gottfried John (Perebrodov), Y Sa Lo (Elsie), Lilo Pempeit (Müller's secretary), Ingrid Caven (hotel receptionist), Voli Geiler (Madam), Isolde Barth (woman), Bernhard Wicki (Orlovius), Hans Zander ([Müller's brother]), Gitty Djamal ([woman in pension]), Harry Baer ([doorman])
Articles held in BFI Reuben Library (25)
In: Sight and Sound v2 n3 July 1992  Page: 27
Title: Fassbinder Bogarde LettersAuthor: WATSON, Wallace Article type: LetterLanguage: English
Description: Examples of letters exchanged between Fassbinder and Dirk Bogarde during and after the making of DESPAIR

In: Film Criticism v11 n3 Spring 1987  Pages: 29-43
Title: [Film Criticism - v11 n3 Spring 1987: no known title]Language: English

In: Literature/Film Quarterly v13 n4 1985  Pages: 222-233
Title: [Literature/Film Quarterly - v13 n4 1985: no known title]Language: English

In: Post Script v3 n2 Winter 1984  Pages: 48-64
Title: [Post Script - v3 n2 Winter 1984: no known title]Language: English
Description: Analysis.

In: The Listener v108 n2767 1 Jul 1982  Page: 37
Title: [The Listener - v108 n2767 1 Jul 1982: no known title]Language: English

In: Séquences n102 October 1980  Pages: 44-45
Title: [Séquences - n102 October 1980: no known title]Language: French

In: Take One v7 n2 January 1979  Pages: 6-8
Title: [Take One - v7 n2 January 1979: no known title]Language: English

In: Screen International n139 20 May 1978  Page: 46
Title: [Screen International - n139 20 May 1978: no known title]Language: English
Description: Dirk Bogarde talks about filming with Fassbinder.

In: Screen International n147 15 Jul 1978  Page: 21
Title: [Screen International - n147 15 Jul 1978: no known title]Language: English

In: Monthly Film Bulletin v45 n535 August 1978  Pages: 156-157
Title: [Monthly Film Bulletin - v45 n535 August 1978: no known title]Language: English

In: Film-Echo/Filmwoche n38 14 Jul 1978
Title: [Film-Echo/Filmwoche - n38 14 Jul 1978: no known title]Language: German

In: Film-Echo/Filmwoche n38 14 Jul 1978  Page: 12
Title: [Film-Echo/Filmwoche - n38 14 Jul 1978: no known title]Language: German

In: Sight and Sound v47 n4 Autumn 1978  Pages: 258-260
Title: [Sight and Sound - v47 n4 Autumn 1978: no known title]Language: English

In: Image et Son n333 November 1978  Pages: 63-64
Title: [Image et Son - n333 November 1978: no known title]Language: French

In: Variety 24 May 1978  Page: 36
Title: [Variety - 24 May 1978: no known title]Language: English

In: Télérama n1497 20 Sep 1978  Pages: 76-77, 78-80
Title: [Télérama - n1497 20 Sep 1978: no known title]Article type: InterviewLanguage: French
Description: Interview with Fassbinder about his interests in original novel.

In: The Hollywood Reporter v253 n47 30 Oct 1978  Page: 3
Title: [The Hollywood Reporter - v253 n47 30 Oct 1978: no known title]Language: English

In: Film (BFFS) v2 n46 February 1977  Page: 4
Title: [Film (BFFS) - v2 n46 February 1977: no known title]Language: English

In: Screen International n87 14 May 1977  Page: 1
Title: [Screen International - n87 14 May 1977: no known title]Language: English

In: Films Illustrated v6 n71 July 1977  Pages: 408-409
Title: [Films Illustrated - v6 n71 July 1977: no known title]Language: English

In: Sight and Sound v46 n4 Autumn 1977  Pages: Aut. 216-217
Title: [Sight and Sound - v46 n4 Autumn 1977: no known title]Language: English

In: Film-Echo/Filmwoche n33 18 Jun 1977
Title: [Film-Echo/Filmwoche - n33 18 Jun 1977: no known title]Language: German

In: Film-Echo/Filmwoche n33 18 Jun 1977  Page: 11
Title: [Film-Echo/Filmwoche - n33 18 Jun 1977: no known title]Article type: CreditsLanguage: German
Description: Credits.

In: Photoplay v28 n10 October 1977  Pages: 27-28
Title: [Photoplay - v28 n10 October 1977: no known title]Language: English

In:   Page: 69
Title: [ - : no known title]


Books held in BFI Reuben Library (1)
Title: Fearful symmetry: doubles and doubling in literature and film
Author: CROOK, Eugene J  Pages: 175p.
Description: Papers from the fifth annual Florida State University confernce on literature and film, 1980.


Film, Video or Digital materials held in BFI National Archive(1)
Film materials(1)
Description: 35mm Colour PositiveBase: SafetySound: CombinedBFI identifier: C-1226124
Status: Status pending - Material requires inspection to determine preservation or access status