Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) (7-Disc Set; Special Edition)

With its running time of over 15 hours, this miniseries from German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder seems daunting, but it's a rewarding viewing experience for fans of both New German Cinema and films in general. Just a year after the release of one of his most acclaimed films, THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN, Fassbinder created this epic work based on the novel by Alfred Döblin. At the heart of BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ lies Franz Biberkopf (Günter Lamprecht, who also starred in THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN), a man who tries to overcome his criminal past. But both Weimar Germany and his own character threaten to stifle his efforts to change as he begins to slowly go mad. With Fassbinder's death the year after BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ aired, this makes for a sobering look at one of the master's final efforts.