Moonchild Vintage: The Inimitable Hanna Shygulla****

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Inimitable Hanna Shygulla****

I was inspired to do a blog on the wonderful German actress Hanna Shygulla after I came across a Suit that reminded me of the stars of the German screen(see my first posts Grand Opening). Hanna is one of my absolutely favorite actresses, along with having had a tremendous influence on my own style as well. She was a leading icon of the German Cinema of the 1960s and 1970s, mainly known for appearing in 23 of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's films including his first feature, "Love is Colder than Death". She is most remembered for her roles in the Fassbinder films, "The Marriage of Maria Braun", "Lili Marlene" and his masterpiece "Berlin Alexanderplatz". She is sometimes compared to Marlene Dietrich, but for me she has a much more human quality than Dietrich, an earthiness underneath the cool, unobtainable blonde. One feels that you could actually talk to her and maybe even become friends. (hahahaha) There seems to be a light emanating from her that makes everything and everyone around her recede into the background and she is all that exist for the moment that she is onscreen and one simply cannot take one's eyes off of her. Everything seems to come so naturally for her and for me she is the ideal women, the women I too want to be. Effortless and present, yet distant and dreamy at the same time. She is human and ethereal and more of what I want my screen goddesses to be. Definitely more than any modern actress or for that matter, American actress. It is also an interesting note that Fassbinder treated her with much kindness and tenderness , when he was notorious for terrorizing, manipulating and sleeping with almost all of his other leading actors. It speaks volumes to me of the kind of respect and love this woman demands and deserves. Here's to you Hanna Shygulla, with love~