I watched this in one sitting, despite the duration of 3h20min. In fact, I found the film so gripping that I didn't even notice the length.
The idea of "virtual reality" has been explored in print science fiction since Stanislaw Lem wrote a short story on the concept in the 1950s (which was later included in the collection "Cyberiada".). Since then, the concept was common currency in writing.
For some reason, film lagged behind. That is, until 1973, when R.W. Fassbinder made this as a 2-part miniseries for television.
And did he make it well! I saw this film after watching every other cinematic exploration of the concept, and nobody else even came close to considering the philosophical concepts associated with virtual reality(realities?).
The state of cybernetics in the 1970s is accurately depicted, with a computer occupying an entire room and being serviced by an army of operators, and programmers occupying a mystical, godlike position above them.
The general look and mindset of the 1970s is captured accurately, which may make the film seem anachronistic to younger viewers.
There is action, but not the blockbuster-style non stop stuff which has become de rigeur in the present-day cinema. This is more a film of ideas.
The building of tension to a peak is performed masterfully, and the ending will astonish you. You will spend quite a time thinking hard after watching this.
One problem: the English subtitles are crudely done and inaccurate. I found that I could render the translation more accurately while watching. This sort of thing is distracting and irritating, and makes the film(especially the finer points) difficult to understand for those who don't understand German.
This film deserves wider distribution, both as cinema and on television. Keeping such a masterpiece locked away, as ARD did, is a disgrace.
The idea of "virtual reality" has been explored in print science fiction since Stanislaw Lem wrote a short story on the concept in the 1950s (which was later included in the collection "Cyberiada".). Since then, the concept was common currency in writing.
For some reason, film lagged behind. That is, until 1973, when R.W. Fassbinder made this as a 2-part miniseries for television.
And did he make it well! I saw this film after watching every other cinematic exploration of the concept, and nobody else even came close to considering the philosophical concepts associated with virtual reality(realities?).
The state of cybernetics in the 1970s is accurately depicted, with a computer occupying an entire room and being serviced by an army of operators, and programmers occupying a mystical, godlike position above them.
The general look and mindset of the 1970s is captured accurately, which may make the film seem anachronistic to younger viewers.
There is action, but not the blockbuster-style non stop stuff which has become de rigeur in the present-day cinema. This is more a film of ideas.
The building of tension to a peak is performed masterfully, and the ending will astonish you. You will spend quite a time thinking hard after watching this.
One problem: the English subtitles are crudely done and inaccurate. I found that I could render the translation more accurately while watching. This sort of thing is distracting and irritating, and makes the film(especially the finer points) difficult to understand for those who don't understand German.
This film deserves wider distribution, both as cinema and on television. Keeping such a masterpiece locked away, as ARD did, is a disgrace.