[FilmReview]Lola(1961)andLola(1981)

TakeninspirationsfromJosefvonSternberg’sTHEBLUEANGEL(1930),bothJacquesDemyandRainerWernerFassbindermanufacturetheirownfantasiesaboutitsiconicprotagonistLola(playedbyMarleneDietrich),ademimondaineofasort,bewitchesandbringsanupstandingmantoherheels.Madein1961ashisfeaturedebut,Demy’sLOLAisablack-and-white“sheisnotthatintoyou”rom-comàlanouvellevague.Lola(Aimée)isanitinerantcabaretdancer,whowishfullyawaitsthecomebackofherloverMichel(Harden),thefatherofherchild.InNantes,shebumpsintoherchildhoodfriendRoland(Michel),anennui-strickenyoungmanwhocarriesatorchforher.ThereunionreignitesRoland’shopeofjoiedevivre,onlyLolacannotreciprocatehisfeelings,butnothingmajorisatstake,Rolandisn’tthepossessivekind,infact,Lola’srefusalactuallyeventuateshisdecisiontodepart,perhapstoCherbourgsincethecharacterreappearsinTHEUMBRELLASOFCHERBOURG(1964)andslumpsintoanotherill-assortedloveaffair.Aimée’sLolaisallfroufroufemininity,coquetryisembeddedinherchromosomebutDemyalsoinfusesherwithanhonestythattranscendssecularconcerns.Lifeishard,butitdoesn’taffecther,Lolacancavalierlyjugglerearingachildwithparryingoffdalliances,includingonefromAmericansailorFrankie(Scott).SheinheritsthemodernityofDietrich’sLolaandmagnifiesit,itisalloutward,modish,aimstoinculcateaudienceawoman’sliberationofbeingtruetoherfeelings(butcananyonereallyknowsone’s“true”feelings?).Butinwardly,Lolaisaharbor,likethetownshefetchesupin,shewaitsforonedaywhenhershipscomesin.Herhappinessiscontingentonafancifulwish,theloverwhoinseminatedherandthenlefther7yearsagocomingbackasamademan,andDemyistooromanticnottopayherdues,itisastorybookendingforhisLola,ifnotjustforMichelLegrand’sliltingcadence.Meantime,Demynimblyorchestratessecondaryplotsaround,Rolandcrossingpathwithawidowandherteenagedaughter(Labourdettemagnificentlytelegraphsthewidow’sdisillusionandperturbationwithoutmakingheraridicule)canbereadasadejavuofhispastwithLola,andCécile(Dupéroux),the13-year-olddaughter(whosharesthesamenameofLola),hasaLaRondestyleencounterwithFrankie(yes,Demy’sLOLAisanopentributetoMaxOphüls),whosependingdepartureleavessomethingindelibleinherimpressionablesoul,acyclicalpatternperpetuates.ForFassbinder,hisLOLA,hisantepenultimatefeaturefilm,setsamoralbackboneinthedeadcenterandthentopplesitwithabang.Thetimeis1957,intheWestGermanytownCoburg,Lola(Sukowa)isthemostalluringcallgirlinthebrothelownedbySchukert(asmarmyAdorf),whoisalsotheleadinglocalbuildingcontractor,andthefatherofLola’syoungdaughter,whoistendedbyLola’smother(Baal).Whilethepost-WWIIreconstructionisinvogue,Schubertandco.(includingthemayor,thechiefofpolice)basksinshadygainfulbenefits,untiltheadventofthenewbuildingcommissionerVonBohm(Mueller-Stahl),ablue-eyedramrodhailedfromEasternPrussia.Divorcedandcultured,VonBohmseemsincorruptibleandpullsoutallstopstobringmoralitytohisbusiness.IntriguedbyVonBohm’sreputation,Lolameetshimunderherrealname,putshimunderhercharm,butwhenthecatisletoutofthebag,whatwillVonBohmdo?Fassbinderhasnoscruplestosatirizetheeverscandalousfalling-in-love-with-a-prostitutetrope,andhedoessowithflairandtongue-in-cheekirreverence,whenthedustsettled,thingsaremiraculouslysquaredaway,thestatusquoremains,evenVonBohmismadetheco-ownerofthebrothel,howaboutthat?Stiffmoralityisfrownupon,andLolagetswhatshewants,sofullyandexuberantlyembodiedbySukowa,sheradiateswithanauraofherTeutonicfiber,bedazzledbyveils,furs,earringsandorgandies.Subversively,Sukowa’sLolaisnothingifnotinviolable,atrueFassbinderheroineheadandshouldersaboveherseedymilieu.Sointheendoftheday,youdon’tfeelsorryforVonBohm,whoisastutelyandvigorouslyportrayedMueller-Stahl,butgivehimyourblessings,theirunionisagodsend.Also,asquirrel-likeHelgaFeddersen(wearingapairofhighheelswithcontrastingcolors,howfashionable!)isalollapaloozaasVonBohm’ssecretaryMissHettich,hilariouswithoutself-consciousness,theroleinaclichébutFeddersenisacomedienneonsteroids.Visually,adornedbyfluorescentstriplightsandneon-litbacklights,predominantlyshoweredinmagenta-tingedhew,LOLAisFassbinder’smostextraordinarypolychromaticexperiment,eveninthetwo-shots,twodifferent-coloredlightingsourcesaredeployed,levelingateithercharacters.MightthecrimsoncurtainsofthebrothelbetheprovenanceofDavidLynch’s“theredroom”inTwinPeaks?Itisalltoofascinatingtolookat,adepravedyetebullientlifeworldlensedthroughFassbinder’sfar-outretina.referentialentries:Demy’sDONKEYSKIN(1970,4.3/10);Fassbinder’sVERONIKAVOSS(1982,7.2/10);JosefvonSternberg’sTHEBLUEANGEL(1930,7.4/10);MaxOphüls’LARONDE(1950,6.5/10).Title:LolaYear:1961Genre:Drama,RomanceCountry:France,ItalyLanguage:France,EnglishDirector/Screenwriter:JacquesDemyMusic:MichelLegrandCinematography:RaoulCoutardEditing:Anne-MaireCotretCast:AnoukAiméeMarcMichelAlanScottElinaLabourdetteAnnieDuperouxJacquesHardenMargoLionCatherineLutzCorinneMarchandAnneZamireRating:7.8/10Title:LolaYear:1981Genre:Drama,RomanceCountry:WestGermanyLanguage:German,English,French,LatinDirector:RainerWernerFassbinderScreenwriters:RainerWernerFassbinder,PeaFröhlich,PeterMärthesheimerMusic:FreddyQuinn,PeerRabenCinematography:XaverSchwarzenbergerEditing:RainerWernerFassbinder,JulianeLorenzCast:BarbaraSukowaArminMueller-StahlMarioAdorfMatthiasFuchsHelgaFeddersenHarkBohmKarinBaalIvanDesnyElisabethVolkmannKarl-HeinzvonHasselUdoKierGütherKaufmannYSaLoChristineKaufmannRoselZechIsoldeBarthRating:8.2/10本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。