Despair
“A hysterical comedy”
Synopsis
Berlin, 1930, during the rise of Nazism. Hermann Hermann, a Russian emigrant and chocolate manufacturer, married to the capricious Lydia, loses his temper more and more every day when dealing with his workers and other businessmen; until he meets Felix, a vagrant, who seems to be physically identical to him; a disconcerting fact that leads Hermann Hermann to plot a particular way out of a fake world he actually hates.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-09
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Dirk Bogarde
Hermann Hermann
Andréa Ferréol
Lydia Hermann
Klaus Löwitsch
Felix Weber
Volker Spengler
Ardalion
Bernhard Wicki
Orlovius
Armin Meier
Silverman / Sergeant Brown / Foreman
Peter Kern
Müller
Adrian Hoven
Inspector Schelling
Alexander Allerson
Mayer
Hark Bohm
Doctor
Roger Fritz
Inspector Braun
Gottfried John
Perebrodov
Y Sa Lo
Elsie
Lilo Pempeit
Mrs. Schmidt
Ingrid Caven
Hotel Manager
Voli Geiler
1st Landlady
Isolde Barth
2nd Landlady
Gitty Djamal
Woman in Pension
Release History & Theatrical Window
Stuttgart
Festival / Special Debut
February 16, 1979
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 20, 2015
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Screenplay & Story
- Tom Stoppard
- Original Score
- Peer Raben
- Original Title
- Despair
- Country of Origin
- Germany
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
- Production Budget
- $2.6M
- Production Studios
- Bavaria Studios
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Tom Stoppard, Vladimir Nabokov
Peer Raben
Michael Ballhaus
Juliane Lorenz, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Peter Märthesheimer
Department Leadership Roster
Tom Stoppard
Screenplay
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Director
Michael Ballhaus
Director of Photography
Juliane Lorenz
Editor
Peer Raben
Original Music Composer
Rolf Zehetbauer
Production Design
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Editor
Peter Märthesheimer
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Despair.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Despair.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
Psychological-Thriller
All BluRay Movies EVER
desc
Movie Books
Cult Epics
Imported from my library (Cult Epics).
DVD
my collection
Similar Titles to Despair
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.4
7.6
6.5
7.0
7.0
6.9
8.3
8.7
7.0
7.2
7.4
6.2
8.1
6.0
6.8
6.6
7.1
7.0
7.3
More Like Despair
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Despair
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Despair about?
Berlin, 1930, during the rise of Nazism. Hermann Hermann, a Russian emigrant and chocolate manufacturer, married to the capricious Lydia, loses his temper more and more every day when dealing with his workers and other businessmen; until he meets Felix, a vagrant, who seems to be physically identical to him; a disconcerting fact that leads Hermann Hermann to plot a particular way out of a fake world he actually hates.
Who directed Despair?
Despair was directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Who stars in Despair?
The principal cast of Despair includes Dirk Bogarde, Andréa Ferréol, Klaus Löwitsch, Volker Spengler, Bernhard Wicki.
When was Despair released and how long is it?
Despair was released in 1978 with a total runtime of 1h 57m.
Who composed the musical score for Despair?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Despair was composed by Peer Raben.
Is Despair based on a book or true story?
Despair is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Vladimir Nabokov".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Despair?
Despair holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.).