Review of Like a Bird on a Wire

"Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht" or "Like a Bird on a Wire" is a 43-minute short film from 1975, so this one had its 40th anniversary last year. The director and one of the writers is Rainer Werner Fassbinder and you will find some familiar faces in here, such as Fassbinder's lover El Hedi ben Salem and Kurt Raab on some occasions. But they are really just part of the scenery that elevates Brigitte Mira's lead performance here. She is the heart and soul of this little movie here. I personally may be a bit biased as Fassbinder's work with Mira are among my favorites from the filmmaker in general as I really like the old lady, but also the many songs displayed to us in here were exactly to my liking either because they are just so big classics or because of personal preference (huge Leonard Cohen fan here). I thought this film is exactly what a transition from stage to screen should look like. Mira performs in various locations and here and there in-between we also see her in an interaction with another woman and this one was a fine example of how "friends" interact in the Fassbinder universe. In general, also in terms of the texts and costumes and sets, this movie is easily to identify as a work from Fassbinder. It actually makes me sad that he did not make any musicals in his very short, yet very prolific career. This one here is among his least seen, but I personally consider it one of his very best achievements. Highly recommended.