Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

One of the greatest figures of New German Cinema, Rainer Werner Fassbinder changed the face of European cinema in the 1970s with his provocative, compelling stories of character studies, melodrama, and morality with such films as Veronika Voss, Lola, Fox and his Friends, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, and his 1979 masterpiece, The Marriage of Maria Braun. Though he died at age 36 in 1982, after the release of Veronika Voss, Fassbinder's legacy lived on through various filmmakers where some of his earlier work was found. One of them was an obscure play Fassbinder never had finished or produced entitled Water Drops on Burning Rocks (its French foreign title is Gouettes D'eau Sur Pierres Brulantesand in German, Tropfen auf heisse Steine).

Discovering that play was French filmmaker Francois Ozon, who had previously scored some acclaim with his first two-feature length films, 1998's Sitcom and 1999's Criminal Lovers along with some acclaimed shorts including See the Sea. Ozon decided to adapt Fassbinder's play into a film as his next project that would help catapult him beyond France.

Water Drops on Burning Rocks is a complex drama about a young man who meets up with a 50-year old businessman as they engage in a loving yet, tumultuous relationship where the elder is manipulating the minds of his new lover as well as the younger man's ex-fiancee, and the older man's former transsexual lover. Adapted into a script and directed by Ozon, the film is a four-act play set in an apartment in 1970s Germany where Ozon uses Fassbinder's approach to character studies as the four characters in the film play a deceitful mind game of lust and power that leads to tragedy. Starring French veteran Bernard Giraudeau, American actress Anna Thomson, and newcomers Malik Zidi, and bombshell Ludivine Sagnier (in her first of three Ozon films). Water Drops on Burning Rocks is a quirky, compelling drama of the human mind.

The first act begins when a 50-year old French businessman named Leopold (Bernard Giraudeau) escorts 20-year old Franz (Malik Zidi) to his apartment in Germany. Franz was on his way to meet his fiancee Anna (Ludivine Sagnier) where he ends up engaging in conversations with Leopold about his relationship with Anna. The conversations become more intense as the two begin to talk about age and relationships where Franz is asked if he ever engaged in homosexuality. Franz admits he kissed a boy before but never liked it, as he is intrigued more about it that leads to a kiss between him and Leopold. Leopold orders Franz to get undressed into his bedroom where the two engage in their first sexual activity.

The second act begins six months later where Franz has broken up with Anna and moves in with Franz cleaning his house and doing things for him. The relationship at first seems like any normal relationship but Leopold's compulsiveness begins to grate on Franz. Franz gets a job outside of his work in Leopold's home but Leopold becomes more controlling. The relationship is now more tumultuous when a mysterious woman named Vera (Anna Thomson) asks for Leopold and Leopold wasn't home. Franz finds himself in a web where he really couldn't do anything or play any records of Leopold as he rebels only to get Leopold undressed for another sexual session.

Unfortunately, that doesn't help by the time the third act begins where the relationship is in turmoil. Franz's exploration of the world outside of Leopold begins to annoy the older, compulsive man as he tries to find a bill. He blames Franz for the lost bill when Franz never even went to his office. Leopold leaves on a business trip where Franz finds himself in a point of isolation. Distraught over the turmoil in his relationship with Leopold, Franz's isolation darkens his mood until coming to the apartment was his ex-fiancee Anna. Anna comforts him only to tell him that she's been asked to be marrying to someone when she is still in love with him. They return to their passionate affair where the fourth act begins as Franz is struggling with his feelings for her and Leopold.

Things get worse two days later, when Leopold returns with Vera, as the games of sex and deception become intense. For Franz, the manipulation is unbearable as Anna's desire for a full-on relationship with Franz might be in trouble as she is now seduced by the charm of Leopold. Vera herself is wondering what this little tryst is leading to as she now feels for Franz. She realizes that Leopold's mind games leads to destructive habits as she sees Franz struggling, Anna being tempted, and herself trying to move on but still has feelings for Leopold. In this final act, tragedy occurs as Leopold's web of deceit does the damage.

While Water Drops on Burning Rockshas the elements of Fassbinder's character studies and melodrama, the film falls shorts not just in the fact that it feels underdeveloped, notably it feels very short. While Ozon does a good job in capturing the film's dramatic tone with a bit of comedy and camp in a hilarious dance sequence between the actors, his script is really the weak point of the film. The problem isn't just that we wanted to know more about the characters, notably the women but its tragedy and aftermath leaves you feeling like there is more to know and it ends up coming off very abruptly.

It's not Ozon's fault since he does capture some great moments for the film to be enjoyable, it's really more of the fact that Fassbinder never had this play released and he seemed very young at what he was writing at the time. Plus, if it had come out in the 1960s, it will indeed be as shocking but unfortunately now, it's not as shocking since there is a lot of depth in hetero and homosexual relationships, particularly in this film.

Though the film's script is truly the weak point, Ozon does though capture a sense of intimacy and restraint theatricality to the film, basically because the whole film is done in the apartment. The film also has a feel of a play as well as a lush, colorful look of Gothic undertones from cinematographer Jeanne Lapoire enhanced by the production design of Arnand de Moleron that captures the intimate, swanky apartment of Leopold. The film's use of orchestral music is played emotional intensity while in the dance sequence, elements of pop is used to give the film some much-needed humor while it may serve, at the time, a preview of what Ozon would've used for his 2002 film 8 Women.

Then there's the film's small but well performed cast of actors. Anna Thomson, noted more for her American work in films like The Crow, Angus, and Bad Boys (1995), gives a powerful performance as the love-torn Vera. Thomson plays her character as a woman desperate to return to her lover only to learn the damage Leopold is causing. Thomson doesn't make herself ambiguous as a boy-turned-woman but also sympathetic as she knows what Franz is feeling while we feel for her trapped in the web of deceit from Leopold. Thomson clearly is one of the most underrated actresses not just in the U.S. but also in the world as she stretched her abilities further, even speaking French perfectly.

Ludivine Sagnier shines as the naïve Anna in her first appearance in Ozon's films. Sagnier gives her character not just depth in the emotional needs of her character but in a scene with Malik Zidi's Franz, she brings a sense of intelligence while balancing that with her sexiness. Sagnier's heartfelt performance and frenetic energy clearly makes her shine as one of France's newest stars after appearing in Ozon's 8 Women and 2003's Swimming Pool.

Malik Zidi is amazing the tortured Franz by playing the film's melodrama with raw emotion. Zidi plays up to his naiveté and exploration as he finds himself caught into a world of manipulation. Zidi makes Franz a sympathetic character as he tries to free himself from Leopold but is filled with anguish. Zidi is an amazing young actor who should be watched in the years to come.

Bernard Giraudeau clearly delivers the film's best performance as the manipulative yet charming Leopold. Early in the film, Giraudeau plays nicely as the audience feels comfortable around him but as the film develops, we see his compulsive behavior and his sneering attitude. Here, Giraudeau plays an excellent villain, although can be sympathetic, by playing mind games with everyone when they least expect it. Giraudeau even shines in his scenes with Zidi as the two have a nice sense of chemistry early on but as the film progresses; it becomes more intense as the two clashes.

While not up to par with the work of Fassbinder or Francois Ozon's better-known films like Swimming Pool and Under the Sand, Water Drops on Burning Rocks is still a very good film with complex character studies and intimate melodrama. Those wanting to discover Fassbinder should best watch The Marriage of Maria Braun since it's a better introduction though Water Drops on Burning Rocks gives an inkling on what he does early in his career.

Those starting to discover Ozon will find this film intriguing though will be disappointed with the end results but at least, this film made Ozon an interesting filmmaker with a vision that is compelling and fun. In the end, Water Drops on Burning Rocks is a good drama from Fassbinder/Ozon though its best to watch their famous works first.

Francois Ozon Films:

See the Sea (1997):

http://www.epinions.com/content_140494409348

A Summer Dress (1997):

(Coming Soon)

Sitcom (1998):

(Coming Soon)

Criminal Lovers (1999):

http://www.epinions.com/content_140499586692

Under the Sand (2000):

http://www.epinions.com/content_140736499332

8 Women (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_129237159556

Swimming Pool (2003):

http://www.epinions.com/content_135739575940

5x2 (2004):

http://www.epinions.com/content_234372238980

A Time to Leave (2005):

http://www.epinions.com/content_287590551172

A Curtain Raiser (2006):

(Coming Soon)

Angel (2007):

(Coming in 2007)



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age