Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven
When Hermann Kusters goes berserk at his factory and murders his manager  before killing himself, a media blitz descends upon his middle-aged wife  (Brigitte Mira) and her adult children. Her daughter attempts to use the  situation to improve her cabaret singing career, but Frau Kusters remains  distraught that her husband has been depicted in the papers as a boozing  maniac. Her search for some solution leads her to the communist party,  then finally to a group of anarchists who take drastic action. WhileMother Kusters Goes to Heavenisn't one of German director Rainer  Werner Fassbinder's more lively films--the pace is almost monotonously  steady--but Fassbinder's eye for selfishness, hypocrisy, and manipulation remains sharp. The movie shifts from a darkly comic tone to a deep sadness; perhaps unable to decide which mood to commit to, Fassbinder shot two strikingly different endings, both of which are presented.--Bret Fetzer