简介：ThisbizarrefilmbyoneofthemostoriginaldirectorsnowworkinginGermanyishermetic,expressionist,oblique,andofacreativeperversitythatbespeaksthepresenceofagenius.Purportingtodealwithareal-life19thcenturydiva'whosepopularitywassuchthatover-exertionledtoherdeathwhilesinging,'thefilmisactuallyagrislyseriesoffrozenortorturedtableaux(predominantlylesbianinimplication)ofheavilyrouged,frequentlyuglywomenwho,pretendingtosingheavyopera,gothroughcontorted,icyattemptsatcommunicationthatleadnowhere.Thelip-syncisoff;thesingingisoff-pitch;mouthsarefrequentlyopenwhilenosoundissuesforth,orclosed,withmellifluousariasorcheappopularsongsheardonscratchyrenditionsofoldrecords.Neitherburlesquenorslapstick,thefilm'sintent,atleastinthebeginning,isneverthelessironicalandsubversive,thoughmysteriouslyso.However,itgrowsincreasinglydarkandmorethreatening,withscreams,facesbathedinVaseline,red,wetmouths,smearedeyeshadows,anddehumanizedfigures.Onecannot'explain'Schroeter'swork,otherthanrecognizehisdebunkingofoperaasametaphoricalrejectionofbourgeoissociety;butonetremblesinrecognitionofaprospectivemajortalent." AmosVogel,FilmasaSubversiveArt…