Veronika Voss

In 1955 Munich, Veronika Voss boards the U-Bahn and catches the attention of sports reporter Robert Krohn, who is surprised he does not recognize the faded star. She is intrigued by his lack of fame awareness and initiates their connection. Their encounter marks the start of a fragile, complicated bond between them.

Veronika and Robert share a lunch where she is recognized by two older women in a jewelry shop, who note the death of Veronika's husband during WWII. The awkward moment reveals her faded celebrity and the social gaze that still follows her. The incident deepens Robert's fascination and the sense that Veronika remains under scrutiny.

Veronika and Robert begin a love affair even though he already lives with his girlfriend Henriette, who senses Veronika's alluring hold. Henriette becomes complicit as she allows Robert to continue seeing Veronika. The relationship accelerates Veronika's vulnerability and Robert's moral conflict.

During one rendezvous at Robert's house outside the city, Veronika awakens in a manic and confused state, startling Robert. The moment reveals the fragility behind Veronika's glamorous facade. It foreshadows a deeper decline in her life and career.

Veronika's behavior grows more erratic and desperate as she loses the relevance she once had. She is repeatedly passed over for roles in favor of younger actresses, underscoring the brutal reality of the film industry. The mounting pressure pushes her further toward dependence on drugs and manipulation.

Robert decides to write a story about aging movie stars who fade from the spotlight, using Veronika as the central case study. He begins to investigate her past, hoping to reveal the truth behind her downfall. The project becomes a lens through which their relationship and Veronika's exploitation are examined.

Robert uncovers that Veronika is essentially a captive of Dr. Marianne Katz, a corrupt neurologist who keeps her dependent on morphine and manipulates the drug supply to drain her wealth. Katz wields power over the actress, shaping her reality and finances. Veronika's vulnerability is exposed as the mechanism of her decline is revealed.

To probe Katz, Henriette approaches the doctor posing as a wealthy woman in need of psychiatric care. Katz writes a prescription for an opiate and, moments later, notices Henriette making a call from a phone booth across the street, signaling surveillance. The scene reveals Katz's network of manipulation surrounding Veronika.

Katz arranges the murder of Henriette; Veronika, though reluctant, helps cover up the crime when Robert returns with the police. The pair orchestrate a scene that preserves Katz's control and Veronika's silence about the scheme. The horrific act marks a turning point in Veronika's fate.

Dr. Katz and her cohort coerce Veronika to sign over all that she owns to them, consolidating her wealth into their control. They silence any potential resistance by keeping her dependent on pills. The arrangement ensures Veronika will never reclaim her former independence.

Veronika dies after a fatal dose of pills administered by Katz and her cohorts. After her death, Robert witnesses the villains celebrating their supposed victory and is powerless to intervene. The ending underscores the systemic corruption that destroys aging stars.

From his vantage point, Robert observes the triumph of the schemers and reflects on the inability to stop them. He remains an outsider, unable to change the outcome or save Veronika. The film closes on a bleak, unresolved note about exploitation in the cinema world.