Whilst Barbara Sukowa may not be a household name, she’s arguably one of the best European actresses of her generation. She won Best Actress at Cannes for her role in Rosa Luxembourg in 1986. She also stared in Europa and Hannah Arendt. However, her most iconic role was also her first feature. After starring in his TV mini-series Berlin Alexanderplatz, she teamed up again with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder in Lola.
In the West German reconstruction boom, there are many winners. The mayor. The chief of police. The editor of the local paper. However, no man is quite raking it as much as Schukert (Mario Adorf), a property developer obsessed by acquiring wealth. He also runs the local brothel, which is frequented by the great and good of the town. His best ‘asset’ is Lola (Sukowa), his prize prostitute. However, when the new straight-laced building commissioner (Armin Mueller-Stahl) comes to town, his money-making schemes are put in jeopardy. And Lola finds herself looking for a way out.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder is like the proverbial kid in the candy shop with Lola. The colours are bright, plentiful and mesmerising. It looks almolst good enough to eat. Sukowa is superb as she leads everyone on a merry dance. The cast around her try and keep up but she’s always one step ahead. Lola portrays a country in the grips of change. Whilst some profit, many struggle. Whilst some yearn for the past, others embrace this new freedom. Lola is a classic, restored in this multicoloured 4K wonderland.
Extras:
- NEW Interview with Barbara Sukowa
- NEW Interview with Juliane Lorenz – Editor and head of the Fassbinder Foundation
- Trailer
The brand new 4k restoration of Lola is released on DVD, Blu-ray and EST by Studiocanal on Monday 3 July.
