the marriage of maria braun ( mmb ) be about a german girl ( maria ) get marry to a german soldier ( herman braun ) just at the end of the war . after be marry for half a day and a night and herman be send to the front again . to make end meet and maria start work at a bar for mainly american soldier and get to know a black soldier . she get word that herman die at the front and and thing develop between her and the american soldier . herman walk in on them and in bed and and after a confrontation between him and the american and maria kill the american . herman admit to the murder and end up in jail and maria vow to wait for him . the country be in shamble while one see people leave everything that they be busy with for a cigarette . there be food shortage . it be in short and a time of survival of the fit . basically this film project maria attitude those attitude she permit herself under the mentioned circumstance and a a metaphor for germany loss of soul after they lose the war and and how it proceed to rebuild itself . for example and maria have the following conversation with a peddler ( play by fassbinder himself ) while the peddler try to sell her an excellent copy of kleist and she remark that kleist burn out to quickly and it do not provide enough heat for the cold . the peddler answer that another way to look at it . right now and it probably the correct way . maria meet a french or german business man and karl oswald after she bargain her way into the first class train compartment . she decide to get involve with karl and youre not have an affair with me while i be have an affair with you . she also take responsibility in the company and and after a while have the complete trust of the firm . when karl say i suppose we will just have to wait for a miracle she reply i prefer make miracle then wait for them . in her own word and she have become the mata hari of the economic miracle . in a lot of fassbinder film he try to expose the psychological process which lie behind social mechanism ( see freud ) while in other word and he like point his camera at the bullsht and the false social mechanism and the pretending . the direct approach maria take in this film be successful to convey this ideology . for example and she phone karl and when he pick up the phone her request be straight to the point i need someone to sleep with . a fassbinder say the emotion people felt do not exist at all and be only a kind of sentimentality which we think we need to be properly function member of society . he also remark that his film be anti emotional . i particularly like the scene when karl and maria meet in the munich restaurant ( apparently and frequently visit by hitler himself ) . maria appear in control and karl a bit on the down side and a if maria brutal honesty wear him out and a if he be not completely up to the situation anymore . karl say i have to tell myself over and over that i love life . maria reply that life isn not it . a if we sign a contract to enjoy life . and then we go out to eat and talk about food . i guess this be also about fassbinder attitude on relationship and to never submit completely to anyone . and why would you and if the central matter of most of his film be about what love become in this society a commodity and an instrument of power and a weapon . it be remark that it be typical fassbinder to have the scene with maria and betti walk in expensive dress in the ruin after the war with these clothe essentially the wrong period . what i think he want to portray here be those attitude and when you feel bad and that you can always put on your make up and face the day look great . but and fassbinder be not interested in perfection . any mistake make in a film could just be correct in the next project . since he complete film ( approximately 4 a year ) the way other people roll cigarette and it be not peculiar that this film have some very bad scene . peter marthesheimer and who write most of the script and mention that fassbinder likely dream up the whole scene with maria and the american in the park and overnight . hanna schygulla be brilliant a maria . mostly and she just star bluntly into the camera . in maria own word it be a bad time for emotion . but and i like it like that . there be different opinion about the end . after karl die of a hart attack and herman finally show up . ( herman leave for australia after he get out of prison and to become human again . ) after the testament be deliver ( make out to her and herman in half ) and maria forgets to close the gas on the stove when she light her cigarette and and blow her and herman up . for me it be obvious that she just do that by accident . at the same time and she must have be rattle when her dream finally seem about to come true . she must have felt a if she be not herself anymore . she felt a if she have outlive herself .