• Previous Danish By Design
• Mirror, Mirror: Basinger's Bedheaded Double Next

• August 12, 2008
• Screen Shot

The Naughty Librarian: The Masochism and Style of "Martha"

By Sarah Maher

Margit Carstensen plays the title role in Rainer Weiner Fassbinder's 1974 film Martha. As a virginal librarian spinster with a laundry list of neuroses, Martha enters an oppressive marriage with compulsively smoking, red lacquered lips and a 1940's-cum-1970's film noir style.

Exploring her sadomasochistic dark side in yellow swing-style pumps, red pin- curled bangs, florals, prints and burgundy glossed nails, Martha's highly stylized situation turns horrifyingly sadistic when her new husband kills their pet kitty cat.



After she changes out of an ivory silk bow-front blouse into a sleek, low-cut dusty pink gown, her cruel beau remarks, "You give the impression that your body smells." Romantic, hunh? When honeymooning in a black triangle top bikini, pale skin and dark sunglasses, Martha she looks every part the fragile Hollywood vamp with severe dependency issues.



With her complicated sexual pathology and her erotic, nipped-waist silhouette reminiscent of Dior's New Look, Martha tries desperately to regain control of her life. But ultimately her sanity, sleekly glamorous amoire and pet pussy cat are doomed to matrimonial hell.



You can display an air of smoky noir glamor in Camilla Staerk's black bikini, Karen Walker's Deep Freeze sunglasses, Bruno Pieters white-bow ribbon shirt, Vena Cava Holly shorts, VPL S-Bend dress, and banded d'Orsay pump, 3.1 Phillip Lim asymmetrical fan dress, Tashkent's Sanchez heels.Meanwhile, lose the psychotic relationship, love your kitties, and enjoy the rest of your summer.