Hanna Schygulla – Trapped by Fassbinder

Patrycja Włodek

Abstract

A book review of Kino Hanny Schygulli [Cinema of Hanna Schygulla] (2015), a volume edited by Andrzej Gwóźdź. The reviewer presents an overview of the content and construction of the book, and points to the most important issues taken up by the authors of the articles. According to Włodek the fact that this publication has many authors is an advantage, in that sense it presents a variety of points of view, and yet it stands behind the repetitions that appear in the book. The reviewer notes that although the analysis presented in the third part of the book introduces new topics, in a number of syntheses one may find repetitions, especially those dealing with wider themes spread over several films. Włodek reconstructs the thesis implicit in the book, that is that Hanna Schygulla was for a long time a “prisoner” of Fassbinder, and only freed herself following the death of the director. Even so, to this day she is primarily seen as an icon, created by Fassbinder, of the New German Cinema. Włodek points out that the publication is also valuable, because it offers a comprehensive and rich analysis of Schygulla’s acting.