to really have her interests at heart in clearing her husband's name. He gives her his contact details. She quickly grows impatient with the communists' passive tactics; they have to campaign in the forthcoming elections Karl explains. She connects with a small group of anarchists, who, though even smaller in number than the communists, claim to have more spirit. There are two endings to the film: The anarchists' leading member, Horst Knab, demands to see Niemeyer at the magazine's offices but the secretary ('Lilo Pempeit', Fassbinder's mother) says he is unavailable. The editor suggests Küsters send in a letter which he might publish. The anarchists take the staff hostage at gunpoint, including Niemeyer, now living with Corinna, who arrives unaware how far the situation has developed. The anarchists demand the release of all political prisoners in West Germany, a Mercedes 600 to take them to the airport and a Boeing 707 to take them out of the country. Küsters looks horrified at the anarchists' demands but is killed in a subsequent clash with the police. Knab kills Linke (the editor) but Knab is also shot. (The last stages of the narrative are detailed with captions.) In another ending (primarily used for the American edition), Niemeyer is at the magazine offices but as the staff start to leave at the end of their working day, the two anarchists grow bored with the sit-down strike and leave with Küsters remaining. After being told by her daughter Corinna, clearly now living with Niemeyer who has 'phoned her, that she is making herself ridiculous, Emma Küsters meets the friendly janitor of the newspaper's offices, whose wife is dead. The widow and widower leave to have dinner together, apparently beginning a romantic relationship. Fassbinder's film criticizes the bloodthirst of the 1970s German media in a similar manner to The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (directed by Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta). However, Fassbinder's film goes further by criticizing the overwhelming selfishness present in contemporary society. Nearly everyone who Mother Küsters encounters is self-serving and unconcerned with comforting her. Fassbinder also clearly criticizes the small German Communist Party's moderation and "armchair activism". Cast Brigitte Mira – Emma Küsters Ingrid Caven – Corinna Corinne, aka Corinna Küsters Armin Meier – Ernst Küsters Irm Hermann – Helene Küsters Karlheinz Böhm – Karl Tillmann Margit Carstensen – Frau Marianne Tillmann Gottfried John – Niemeyer Matthias Fuchs – Horst