In a Year with 13 Moons

As some others have written or implied this film is absolutely exhausting. It doesn't abandon its character or his life at any time although at times we almost WANT relief. Mahler's music in films has been dutifully noted. It can be almost as depressing in concert version. As for Nino Rota's "happy" music, or "life just continues (joyfully)" score, the irony isn't lost either. This is a one-man job and therefore takes risks that few producers or companies would tolerate under normal circumstances. I was profoundly moved by the film; I just don't plan to see it again for a while.

Curtis Stotlar

"In a Year of 13 Moons" is a harrowing and brutal film that explores the themes of identity, human suffering and despair. Fassbinder's films, for the most part, are penetrating glimpses into the human condition at its most vulnerable. I really adore Ingmar Bergman's films, but they are considered "too pessimistic or depressing" for some, but my goodness, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's are bleak as night, often set in an unforgiving, cold and unreceptive world.

The film follows Elvira Weishaupt (Volker Spengler), a troubled and struggling transgender woman, who is wrestling with her identity. Fassbinder would construct the film through a non-linear narrative, that intertwines her many painful memories, her personal encounters, and the many philosophical thoughts and reflections on her life. Considered by many to be one of Fassbinder's most challenging and deeply personal films, and for good reason too. Fassbinder would make "In a Year of 13 Moons" in response to the suicide of his close lover, and this grief added to the intense and turbulent atmosphere that the film carries. The themes of rejection and despair are strong themes that drive the film, along with the search for love, and the pain and devastation of its absence. One of my favorite directors, Richard Linklater, would regard it as his favorite Fassbinder film. It is claustrophobic and very depressing, but for people who enjoy character driven dramas, then you may appreciate it.

Fassbinder's genius is making you feel as trapped and desperate as Elvira, you really feel empathy for the character. Only the visit with her family is there a brief respite from her pain. Kudos for Fassbinder for his good taste in using Suicide's "Frankie Teardrop" on the soundtrack--a song about a man who feels trapped, but directs his anger outward, rather than inward, like Elvira.

This drama follows the last few days in the life of Elvira (formerly Erwin) Weisshaupt. Years before, Erwin told a co-worker, Anton, that he loved him. "Too bad, you aren't a woman," he replied. Erwin took Anton at his word. Trying to salvage something from the wreckage love has made of his life, he now hopes that Anton will not reject him again.

At this point (2017), I have seen most of what Fassbinder has made. And, indeed, the vast majority is really good. Some have said this is his best work. While I am not sure I am ready to jump on that train, I am also not willing to deny the possibility. Even the content alone deserves praise. This is 1978. I am no expert on transgender history, but I cannot think of any films that tackled such a heavy subject this far back.

If anything, the film seems even more topical today as transgender issues are more front and center. The mainstream is ready to stand up for the rights of these folks, and films like "13 Moons" should really be re-examined by the film community.

In A Year With 13 Moons was directed rather late in director Werner Rainer Fassbinder's career, and in this film you almost get a whiff of life imitating art as you feel like you're watching the last days of Fassbinder as a director. In this film you can see the influence of films that Fassbinder admired, for example, Le Diable probablement, but In A Year With 13 Moons is bleak and impersonal in a way that the aforementioned film is not. It lacks the aesthetic obsession that French films often have and instead there is an emphasis on showing people and places as they truly are.

There are scenes that take place in darkened rooms where you almost get a contrived, science-fiction feel, and you're reminded that in all fiction the process of "world-building" occurs, but it's less obvious in contemporary drama because the viewer/reader is able to associate the names of places and people in the drama with real places and people, so the contrived nature and world-building are neatly tucked under the rug for no one to see. The film is remarkable in its tale of Elvira/Erwin who breaks up with her lover and then has to meet up with an old acquaintance after a misunderstanding. The actors totally inhabit their roles as they generally do in Fassbinder's films and this certainly is a testament to Fassbinder's brilliance as a director.

The primary weakness of this film is that it lacks naturalness and feels just a little too false, in contrast to, for example, Fassbinder's Fox and His Friends, which feels very natural. In A Year With 13 Moons is artsier, somewhat commedia-dell'arte-esque with its stereotypical characters, but after watching so many bad films recently this particular film felt like a breath of fresh air. A notable scene occurs at a butcher site or mechanical abattoir where cattle are being bled and slaughtered, which again was a little reminiscent of the scenes of environmental degradation in Le Diable probablement. In A Year With 13 Moons is a must-see. 8 out of 10.