The Marriage of Maria Braun (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)

Do you, Hermann Braun, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?

I do.

The marriage certificate's outside. Do we need it?

Of course we need it.

Hey, stay here! Don't run away!

Stay here! Stay here!

Help! Let go of me!

CIVIL REGISTRY

Hermann!

- Are you all right? - Come here!

Sign it! Sign it!

The stamp!

THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN

A film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

For Peter Zadek

Is that you, Maria?

I was worried to death. I thought something had happened to you.

Nobody wants wedding dresses now.

Too many brides, not enough men.

That's all I got for it.

There's so much shaving gear on the market.

There, my dear! There.

Let's fry some potatoes with bacon.

We are interrupting this broadcast of Beethoven's 9th Symphony

to bring a search call for missing persons.

For each of the names mentioned we have a message.

5,821.

Adler.

First name unknown.

Born around 1910,

paymaster from Vienna.

5,822.

Albartz, Eugen,

born around 1925,

non-commissioned officer, married...

I still feel sick at the sight of some of them.

I could do with a tea now.

The medical orderlies say crosswise is not the worst.

If you get hit all on one side, you can't even hold a crutch.

I've seen it going on for six years, and I've been a widow for five.

I'd have been satisfied with mine if only he'd come back.

How long were you married?

I still am married.

I just meant you didn't have much from your marriage.

Yes, I did.

Half a day and a whole night.

Mine was killed right at the start. In Norway.

He was in the Navy until his ship was sunk.

Two soups, please.

He survived and swam through icy water covered with burning oil.

Then he had to fight on land.

Then he fell into a crevasse and died.

Why didn't you marry again?

In condolence, they sent me a painting:

a picture of a wreath with a ribbon floating on the waves

with "They died that Germany might live" written on it.

Just imagine.

"They died that Germany might live" and he's dead.

They send me a picture of the sea, and he falls into a glacier.

There were once seas where the mountains are now

before the last ice age.

How can you be so sure your husband's not dead?

Because I want him to come back.

- What did he say? - Something indecent.

I don't know what you said, but you had no right to.

You must be crazy!

The divorce is pending.

That's why he told me: because he loves me.

But her!

Since I have her husband now, she said,

she was going to keep his food ration card.

Ration card?

- And now? - I don't know.

Shame on you!

All right, Grandpa Berger, let's try it on.

The mistake people make is to love one person all their lives.

If we don't have any potatoes, we eat turnips.

If we don't have any turnips, we eat gruel.

But in love, there's only one man,

and when he goes to war and is dead five months later,

you have to mourn for the rest of your life.

Does that make sense, Grandpa?

Much too wide!

Yeah, yeah. It's no good being alone.

It was almost too tight for Karl

the last time he was here, in May '41.

The men still looked like men then.

Now they all look as if they'd shrunk.

You can take the underpants. They're warm.

And no one will mind if they're too big.

- Let's say three bundles of firewood? - All right.

Look what Maria had!

Three weeks of being in love and one day of marriage.

Now she stands there with her search board.

Do you know why we always stick to one guy?

Because there is only one you love.

I don't know how Maria knew it at such a tender age.

Here she is.

Take your things, Grandpa.

- She has her pride. - How wide?

"Pride," I said.

There you are, at last.

I was just sorting out your father's things.

Hello, Grandpa Berger.

It's nice to have a man in the house to come home to.

- And it's warm, too. - Yes, it's warm, too.

Why are you doing that here?

It's my way of remembering your father.

Grandpa Berger can use them. Father won't need them anymore.

And we need firewood.

I thought the same, but father's belongings?

Father is dead and we're alive.

What will you give me for them? Your brooch?

My brooch?

It's very valuable.

There's one missing.

- OK, then. - Oh, Maria!

Wait, I'll go and get it.

Here!

Nazi gang!

Snotty-nosed bastards!

They're not proper men anymore.

What difference does it make

whether you're a man or a woman if you're freezing?

Something has to change.

- What do you want to change? - I don't know.

But something has to happen.

- Do you know Hermann Braun? - No.

Don't cry for love alone

In this wide world, there's more than one

There's more than one fish in the sea

I look like a poodle.

You think so?

It's the latest thing.

I'll bet... the Americans are just crazy about poodles.

My Willi wouldn't have approved. That's for sure.

Hermann wouldn't have minded.

And they won't hire you anyway.

- We'll see about that. - What'll you wear?

- What do you do with this? - Play music.

Shall I play something for you? Any requests?

Yes. The German national anthem.

Cut it out! For God's sake, stop it!

What use is it, if you can't even play the national anthem?

Go on in.

Keep your eyes open here.

I didn't think you were coming. I waited so long.

Hold this a second.

Black, size 38, short sleeves,

low cut.

It wasn't easy to come by. Is it for you, or is it a present?

- It's for business. - We all have to make a living.

- And the liquor? - For my mother.

It helps her forget her troubles with her daughter.

And it numbs her heartache.

I have a valuable complete edition

of Kleist's works from 1907. Would that be something for you?

Books burn too easily, and they don't warm you.

Oh well, if you look at it that way.

That's the way I look at it.

Maybe it's better that way right now.

Thanks a lot.

And good luck.

- I am not going to sew it for you. - You know I can't sew, Mum.

My dear girl...

Mum!

Come on.

If a girl has pretty legs like you...

...she ought to show them.

You father would turn in his grave.

I don't think it's right either.

I just pray your soul doesn't come to any harm, my girl.

Make sure somebody gives you a nice pair of stockings,

if you're letting yourself in for that sort of thing.

Amazing, really amazing.

I learned it here on these bars.

- Is it a new way to apply for a job? - Not really, but...

If it were...

...I'd have been hired by now.

We don't need anybody.

Maybe you won't need anyone apart from me.

Come in here.

- We still have doors in our place. - Well, we don't.

I need your name, address and age.

Are you married?

Yes.

Don't wear your wedding ring to work.

And I need a health certificate.

Payment in cash or goods?

You can get dressed again, Mrs Binder.

Everything OK? Do I get a certificate?

No.

You'll have to take a break for three or four weeks.

Have I caught a dose?

A bad dose, I'm afraid. You won't be able to work.

That's tough.

Come back on Tuesday.

Bye, Mrs Binder.

And send the next patient in.

Little Maria...