June 12, 2011
Personally, I think this is one of Bogarde's finest roles.
Dirk Bogarde,
Andrea Ferreol,
Volker Spengler,
Klaus Lowitsch,
Alexander Allerson
... see more 
Having made as many films as he had years, at 31, Rainer Werner Fassbinder essayed a slightly different approach for his 32nd film, Despair. Here, he uses a witty screenplay written by the well-known ... read more
DVD Release Date: December 30, 1988
Stats: 28 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (28)
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January 17, 2013"Cinema is just a form of masturbation. Sexual relief for disappointed people. Women write and say, "I let my husband do it because I think it's you lying on top of me"--Dirk Bogarde
I've been wanting to see this for years & it was worth the wait. Great script & exceptional a... read more
Critic Reviews
February 27, 2012
Richard Brody, New Yorker
January 26, 2006
Time Out
Bold, garish and obsessive, but more than a little irritating. Full Review
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times
The Stoppard script is a joy for anyone who likes the English language. Full Review
July 30, 2012
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Unpleasant but thoughtful and provocative psychodrama set in Berlin, in the 1930s. Full Review
January 10, 2012
Philip Kemp, Total Film
Everything about Despair feels queasily off - the plot, the acting, the dialogue and the fussily over-decorated sets. Full Review
June 10, 2011
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Not one of [Fassbinder's] best. Full Review
June 7, 2011
Simon Abrams, Slant Magazine
Of the authorial trifecta that created Despair, director Rainer Werner Fassbinder's voice is the most pronounced. Full Review
September 18, 2006
TV Guide's Movie Guide
It is beautifully photographed by Ballhaus in a frame filled with reflective glass and mirrors. Full Review
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