Lili Marleen

Lili Marleen, made for 10.5 million German marks, was the highest budget Rainer Werner Fassbinder ever spent on a single feature and his only film set during the Third Reich. Hanna Schygulla appeared in 23 of Fassbinder's films over twelve years, and Lili Marleen is counted among the most acclaimed. The real history of the song is remarkable: its lyrics were written in 1915 during World War I, it was first recorded in 1939 and sold only about 700 copies, but once Radio Belgrade began playing it frequently from 1941 onward, it became popular among both Axis and Allied soldiers, growing into the war's biggest international hit by 1942. Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels tried to ban the song from being played, but backed down under heavy demand from soldiers at the front. Who it's for: anyone curious about a director's highest budget film, built around the real history of a song beloved by both Nazi and Allied soldiers. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a modest, low budget period drama.