The Bridegroom, the Actress, and the Pimp

Three sequences are linked together in this short film by Straub; the first sequence is a long tracking shot from a car of prostitutes plying their trade on the night-time streets of Germany; the second is a staged play, cut down to 10 minutes by Straub and photographed in a single take; the final sequence covers the marriage of James and Lilith, and Lilith’s subsequent execution of her pimp, played by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. "The film is a look entirely at Western decadence" - Jean-Marie Straub.

Directed by Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet, The Bridegroom, the Actress, and the Pimp leans on a strong ensemble — Irm Hermann, Kristin Peterson, Hanna Schygulla — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1968.