Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Author: Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: The cinema is regarded as a "phenomenon of (human) fantasy." "Imagery" emphasizes psychological and physiological sensations more than "images," co-constructing a complete form with life. Here, "imagery" replaces the perception and impression of the projector's projected images at the birth of cinema. "Imagery" also carries a certain "ideological preconception." The Imagery House is a series of books that systematically organizes the works and creations of contemporary cinematic masters. More accurately, it is a record of texts and images showing respect to the "author" directors. It does not delve into the vast history of cinema; this scope may be unfamiliar to what people commonly know as "film directors." Therefore, the target audience for The Imagery House was not too broad from the beginning. The creation of The Imagery House stems from the passionate and enduring love for cinema held by a few people. Here, the hope is to establish an effective and healthy language environment, fostering attention and scrutiny toward the "aesthetic value" of cinema beyond its "entertainment function," and placing it above the conventional "reception" of watching films. Moreover, in the current era of rapidly expanding visual information and the lack of specialized research materials on cinema, The Imagery House can simplify the complexities and serve as a "reference tool" in the process of "understanding" cinema—this would be one of its values.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982) is hailed as a "genius of German New Cinema." His creative work spanned film, television, and theater, with his cinematic talent particularly remarkable. From 1965 until his death in 1982, Fassbinder completed 43 works, surpassing his peers with a relentless output of masterpieces that frequently won awards at international and domestic film festivals. Although his works subverted the fundamental conventions of cinematic language, they retained a deep allure for audiences through the form of melodrama and drew the keen attention of critics. On the other hand, Fassbinder was also a solitary, boyish figure: moody, impatient, vengeful, and disorganized, often prone to irrational behavior. "Only the anger and ruthless ecstasy that exist within the corrupted nervous system of an artist can be the true source of artistic inspiration. The artist must become inhuman and superhuman; he must maintain a strange and distant relationship with all of humanity."