Fassbinder, Rainer Werner	...	(Director)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder	...	(Writer)
Anna Karina	...	Irene Cartis
Margit Carstensen	...	Ariane Christ
Brigitte Mira	...	Kast
Ulli Lommel	...	Kolbe
Alexander Allerson	...	Gerhard Christ
Volker Spengler	...	Gabriel Kast
Andrea Schober	...	Angela Christ
Macha Méril	...	Traunitz

Summary: An elegantly baroque exercise from the middle of his brief and brilliant career, Chinese Roulette finds Rainer Werner Fassbinder exploring the sinister side of a weekend in the country. At an isolated mansion, a husband and wife bump into each other--with their lovers in tow. Their lame daughter shows up with her mute nanny, adding to the tension, and the festivities culminate in a spiteful truth-telling game. Fassbinder choreographs the claustrophobic action as though it were Last Year at Marienbad filmed as soap opera parody, with glittering contributions from cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and RWF's longtime composer, Peer Raben. It's fun to watch, although the decadent sense of a snake chasing its tail ultimately makes this one feel like minor-league Fassbinder. Along with stock-company regulars Margit Carstensen and Brigitte Mira, the cast includes a pair of former Godard heroines (still looking stunning), Anna Karina and Macha Meril. --Robert Horton