Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Lola Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 29, 2019

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's "Lola" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival video interview with actress Barbara Sukowa; archival video interview with producer/screenwriter Peter Marthesheimer; audio commentary by documentarian Christian Braad Thomsen; and more. The release also arrives with a 52-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kent Jones and production histories by author Michael Töteberg, as well as technical credits. In German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The brothel

The initial plan for Lola was to be a remake of Josef von Sternberg's classic drama The Blue Angel, but by the time production started Rainer Werner Fassbinder had already transformed it into a completely new project that in some ways was far easier to compare to Jean Renoir’s take on Emile Zola’s Nana. Lola eventually became the central piece in the famous BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) Trilogy, which also includes The Marriage of Maria Braun and Veronika Voss.

The events that are chronicled in the film take place in a provincial town a little over a decade after the end of WWII, as signs begin to emerge that the economic engine of the Federal Republic of Germany is starting to rev up. People from all social groups are already visibly optimistic that even while their leaders are being overseen and effectively controlled by foreign governments their country is on the right track and economic prosperity is just around the corner. In the town’s most prestigious brothel the young and beautiful Lola (Barbara Sukowa) is equally optimistic about the future and dreams big, but she is well aware that time is working against her and that she has to be smart if she is to make the most of her best years. For this very reason she has invested heavily in a difficult relationship with the wealthy developer Schuckert (a brilliant Mario Adorf), who much like the rest of the brothel’s regular clients is under the impression that treating a woman as a whore and a goddess over the course of a few hours is perfectly normal. A surprising encounter with the town’s new building commissioner Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl), however, presents Lola with a new opportunity to invest in her future and she decides to go all in while keeping Schuckert under the impression that the move is nothing more than a casual fling. Initially Lola’s double game works precisely as intended, but then Von Bohm falls madly in love with her without realizing that she works in the brothel and rearranges his entire life so that he can win her heart. Soon after, Schuckert and Von Bohm are set on a collision course, while Lola is forced to reevaluate her entire retirement strategy.

Lola is a typical Fassibinder film, full of unexpected contrasts and just as interested in its characters and their flaws as it is in the social environment in which they are placed. In fact, here Fassibinder seems even more focused on the emerging social dynamics that will drive and eventually define the great Economic Miracle. This particular social awareness as well as the very bold and at times borderline expressionist cinematography make Lola virtually impossible not to compare to the various masterpieces that Douglas Sirk directed in the 1950s.

Of course Fassbinder was never the delicate and reserved psychologist that Sirk was, and this is precisely why his films are typically completely unpredictable emotional roller-coasters. In Lola there is also a solid dose of unfiltered cynicism that widens the gap that exists between him and Sirk even more. So while at a certain point in their careers the two directors might have been driven by similar desire to explore the evolving foundation of the societies that they belonged to, they were essentially looking at different types of social and cultural prejudices and flaws.

The end comes abruptly and leaves the viewer in a very awkward place because the resolution makes it simply impossible to side with any of the main characters. At first it seems like it might have been poorly edited, but after a while the message begins to make perfect sense. It’s got something to do with the price of success.

Lola Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lola Arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This 4K digital restoration was undertaken by StudioCanal from the 35mm original camera negative at Alpha Omega Digital GmbH in Munich. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic track."

As the quote text above confirms, the release is sourced from the same 4K restoration of Lola that StudioCanal also used for this Region-B release in 2017. Unsurprisingly, there are no major discrepancies between the two. In fact, aside from the fact there here some of the darker/indoor footage looks 'tighter', they are practically identical. Of course, this is great news because this particular 4K restoration is very, very beautiful. It's got some tremendous color nuances and a type of fluidity that essentially make the film look as if it was shot just a few months ago. A direct comparison with the old DVD release from Criterion reveals even more striking improvements, especially with the club footage where the standard definition master quite simply struggles and routinely fails to preserve native details. Overall image stability is excellent. Lastly, the entire film now looks simply spotless. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Lola Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: German LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is stable, clean, and free of age-related imperfections. During a few of the big scenes from the club balance is a bit shaky, but this is because plenty of organic sounds and noises are incorporated into the soundtrack. Despite the variety of music acts, dynamic intensity is rather underwhelming. Of course, this has everything to do with the original sound design, and nothing to do with the quality of remastering/remixing work.

Lola Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Lola. In German, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080p).

• Barbara Sukowa - in this archival video interview, actress Barbara Sukowa recalls how she was approached by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and asked to play Lola, and discusses the qualities of her character (and how Fassibinder completely reshaped the character that she had in mind), the director's working methods, the importance of tone and atmosphere and how they define his films, Germany during the 1950s, etc. The interview was conducted in New York in April 2003. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080i).

• Peter Marthesheimer - in this archival video interview, producer/screenwriter Peter Marthesheimer recalls his initial encounter with Rainer Werner Fassbinder and discusses their professional relationship. Also, he discusses the conception of the BRD Trilogy, which he scripted together with psychologist Pea Frohlich. The interview was conducted in March 2003 in Pullach, near Munich. In German, with optional English subtitles. (34 min, 1080i).

• Juliane Lorenz with Laurence Kardish - author and curator Laurence Kardish collaborated with Juliane Lorenz on the 1997 book Rainer Werner Fassbinder. In this filmed conversation, the two discuss the editing of Fassbinder's films, the casting of the different characters in the BRD trilogy (including the revelation that Maria Braun was supposed to go to Romy Schneider), the costumes and period look of the films, etc. This conversation was recorded in New York in March 2003. In English, not subtitled. (33 min, 1080i).

• Xavier Schwarzenberger - cinematographer Xavier Schwarzenberger's first collaboration with Rainer Werner Fassbinder was on Berlin Alexanderplatz. The two also worked together on Lola, Veronika Voss and Querelle. In this archival interview, he recalls his initial impression of the director and then discusses his working methods and cinematic style. The interview was conducted in Munich in 2003. In German, with optional English subtitles. (27 min, 1080i).

• Commentary - this vintage audio commentary features Rainer Werner Fassbinder documentarian, biographer, and friend Christian Braad Thomsen. It was recorded in 2003 and appeared on Criterion's DVD release of The BRD Trilogy.

• Booklet - 52-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kent Jones and production histories by author Michael Töteberg, as well as technical credits.

Lola Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The more time passes by, the clearer it becomes that the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder offer some of the most accurate dissections of post-war Germany, which in all fairness is more than a bit odd because many of them were conceived with the same sense of freedom that in America John Cassavetes utilized to create a drastically different range of films. This points to the fact that the social environment was crucial for their identity. Lola, one of the three films in the famous BRD Trilogy, has been recently restored in 4K and is now available on Blu-ray in this three-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.