Sheer Madness (Heller Wahn) 41 years old
Olga and Ruth become friends. Olga is independent, separated from her husband, living with an immigrant pianist, and teaching feminist literature. Ruth is withdrawn, a painter, possibly mentally ill. Ruth dreams in black and white, sometimes of her suicide. Olga lectures on a 19th-century writer, von Günderrode, a suicide after the breakup of her intense friendship with Bettina Brentano. Ruth's husband Franz encourages the women's friendship, then, as Olga draws Ruth out and the friendship deepens, he becomes jealous. After the women travel to Egypt, Franz has a tirade. Ruth seems crushed between her husband and her friend, and how she responds is the film's climax.
Credits
Sheer Madness Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Franz Buchrieser He was 47, now 86 years old | as Dieter |
| Wladimir Yordanoff He was 31, now 70 years old | as Alexaj |
| Angela Winkler She was 41, now 80 years old | as Ruth |
| Peter Striebeck He was 47, now 86 years old | as Franz |
| Hanna Schygulla She was 41, now 80 years old | as Olga |
| Helga Ballhaus She was 50, 71 years old when she died | |
| Felix Moeller He was 18, now 59 years old | as Christof |
| Jochen Striebeck He was 43, now 82 years old | as Bruno |
| Werner Eichhorn He was 62, 82 years old when he died |
Sheer Madness Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Jürgen Henze as Set Decoration. He was 35 (now 74) years old | Art |
| Eberhard Junkersdorf as Producer. He was 46 (now 86) years old | Production |
| Dagmar Hirtz as Editor. She was 44 (now 83) years old | Editing |
| Margarethe von Trotta as Director. She was 43 (now 82) years old | Directing |
| Margarethe von Trotta as Writer. She was 43 (now 82) years old | Writing |
Sheer Madness (41 years)
- Release day: Friday, February 25, 1983
- Runtime: 105 minutes