a review of 世界旦夕之间

1st Annual Criterion Challenge Week 20: Anything on my Criterion to-watch list I'll admit, this one took me a couple of tries to make it through both parts 1 and 2. (Specifically: I do not recommend trying to binge through both in a single sitting, especially after dinner on a weeknight. YMMV.) But ultimately I found this one pretty rewarding, not so much for the story or pacing but for how Fassbinder had the guts to adapt this particular idea in such a boldly lo-fi way. '70s West German TV production values aside, this would be an ambitious concept for a present-day film or TV miniseries and would likely have a Matrix/Westworld sized budget thrown at it to boot. The way that Fassbinder pulls it off with little more than carefully chosen tracking shots/zooms/in-camera optical effects, layered with that constantly percolating sound treatment, is pretty admirable. In any case, I think I'm going to have to finally check out The Thirteenth Floor, given its direct connection to this film.