At first glance, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's made-for-TV 1973 sci-fi thriller World on a Wire—a paranoid depiction of a computer-controlled future that was likely a predecessor to The Matrix—doesn't seem typical of the New German Cinema luminary's work. But look closer and the exploitation and stylized suffering that characterize his films are intact. Michael Ballhaus's deep-focus compositions and fetishistic use of reflective surfaces also help the movie go beyond its small-screen origins—especially in its newly restored, hi-def digital incarnation. Don't let the three-and-a-half-hour run time scare you off.
MORE TODAY: