Die Skorpionfrau

My review was written in December 1990 after watching the movie on Crocus video cassette.

This Austrian comedy about an older woman's affair with a younger man covers familiar territory pleasantly but without new insights. Released to the video market in the U. S., it's worth a look.

In recent years, German directors such as Doris Dorrie and Rudolf Thome have explored similar subjects with funny results, but no significant American market has been created for this Paul Mazursky-esque Continental genre.

Here Angelica Domrose is a prominent judge in her 40s whose regular boyfriend (talented Hungarian thesp Peter Andorai) is not ready for marriage. She takes up with her new legal assistant Fritz Hammel, little more than half her age.

Her life turns upside down, with her courtroom behavior seriously affected. Of most interest to American audiences is director Susanne Zanke's depiction of Austrian court procedure, in which the judge acts as interrogator. Film focuses on a case involving married woman Johanna Tomek supposedly seducing a younger man, which provides a parallel to Domrose's situation.

Key plot twist occurs when the heroine discovers Hammel is bisexual, in a menage a trois scene involving his painter friend who wants to run off to Greece with him. Pic ends unsatisfyingly with an O. Henry type melodramatic climax that comes out of nowhere.

Zanke demonstrates promise with this intriguing effort and could emerge with a film pickup if she comes up with a stronger script. Tech credits are solid.