Focus on Wim Wenders

The Scarlett Letter

1 hr. 18 min. | Drama, History | N/A

Puritan America of the 17th century. A village surrounded by wildlife. A woman named Hestera Prin for being born out of wedlock and refusing to reveal the child's father's name has been made an object of shame and forced to wear the bright red letter A. Pride and love make the scom of the puritanical citizens bearable. An elderly stranger soon arrives in the village, the only Hester recognizing him as his missing husband. He pretends to be a doctor and watches Hester, trying to figure out who her lover is ...

"Every film not only tells a story, it also documents how it was made. The 'bright red letter' reminds me of conditions I would never want to work in again: I don't want to make a film where you can't show a gas station, a TV or a phone booth. It sounds emotional, but emotion is the point. They are only possible in films that have been made freely, without restrictions, in which the actors are not subject to restrictions, "Wenders said.

Languages
German
Subtitles
Lithuanian, English
Original title
Der scharlachrote buchstabe
Produced
1973: Germany, Spain