IN A YEAR OF MOONS (13 ) Movie Review

In a Year with 13 Moons
In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden

If you've ever felt rejected, victimized, or just plain misunderstood, take a look at Rainer Werner Fassbinder's In a Year of 13 Moons and you'll probably decide you're not so bad off after all. Volker Spengler gives a legendary performance as Elvira Weishapt, who started life as Erwin but remedied all that with a sex-change operation. Problem is, the guy Erwin became Elvira for no longer loves him (or her), and now Erwin's stuck as Elvira and regrets it. Constantly teetering on the edge of self-parody, this is a tragedy so funny you can't cry, and a comedy so surprisingly touching you find yourself unable to shrug it off with a laugh. The New York Times’ Vincent Canby wrote that “the film's redeeming feature is genius,” which may well be true, but Volker Spengler's awesomely theatrical, operatic performance is hardly chopped liver. This is one Fassbinder that you simply can't take your eyes off of, even when you really want to.

NEXT STOP … The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Fox and His Friends, All: Fear Eats the Soul

1978 119m/C GE Volker Spengler, Ingrid Caven, Gottfried John, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Eva Mattes, Gunther Kaufman; D: Rainer Werner Fassbinder; W: Rainer Werner Fassbinder; C: Rainer Werner Fassbinder; M: Peer Raben. VHS NYF