A fatal German marriage: The national subtext of Fassbinder's Die 'Ehe derMaria Braun'

The article explores the connections between the development of Maria Braun 's marriage and the political and economic conditions which made the econom ic miracle of the 1950s possible. Whereas Fassbinder scholarship has tended to seek parallels only between the character of Maria Braun and general de velopments in German society, it is argued here that both her marriage and her love affairs need to be included in such an interpretation. The analysi s of non-realistic, theatrical or extra-diegetical elements in the film's s tyle discovers a subtext which revolves around symbols of national identity and sovereignty and which is directly linked to the development of Maria B raun's marriage. Within this framework, the symbolic function of Maria Brau n's lovers and of her husband are re-examined.