A FISH CALLED WANDA · EIN FISCH NAMENS WANDA | Black Box im Filmmuseum Düsseldorf - Psychoanalyse + Film

GB-USA 1988 - 108 min - DF - 35mm - FSK 12 R/B: Charles Crichton, John Cleese - C: Alan Hume D: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Maria Aitken and others.

A group of crooks steal valuable diamonds. However, when it comes to dividing up the rich loot, ego trips, mistrust and betrayal come into play and cause the whole operation to go awry. Lawyer Archie Leach, who really doesn't know what's happening to him, unexpectedly finds himself at the center of the intrigue: He is actually just an inconspicuous, slightly eccentric Brit who now has his head turned by an American woman of a completely different caliber.
What sounds like the stuff of any gangster movie is just the starting shot for a fast-paced comedy that is particularly interested in the cultural idiosyncrasies and individual tics of the film's characters. The historical rivalry between the USA and Great Britain is the basis for countless jokes and jibes, and even becomes the driving force behind the actions of individual characters. This did not detract from the film's success, on the contrary: A FISH CALLED WANDA is one of the biggest box office successes of the 1980s and was also extremely well received by critics.

Followed by a discussion.

Lecture and discussion: Birgit Napiontek