After establishing himself in the avant garde theater world of 60’s Berlin, the legendary auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s first feature film premiered at the 1969 Berlin Film Festival. Immediate responses were mixed, but looking back, we can already see Fassbinder’s audacity from the first scene.
Fassbinder plays the uncredited role of Franz, a tough lowlife recruited by the Syndicate. The leisurely-paced opening act concludes with Bruno (Ulli Lommel), a seasoned criminal and employee of the Syndicate, coercing Franz and his girlfriend Johanna (Hanna Schygulla) into a series of increasingly violent crimes.
“After Bruno, Franz and Joanna seal their fate through a series of short-sighted, impulsive decisions, there’s nothing left to do but pull off the big hit they’ve been planning. A joint gets cased… a target is selected… witnesses are disposed of… weapons are prepared… the meticulous arrangements are put in place, discussed and mentally rehearsed. But second thoughts, mixed emotions, bad luck and confusions of lust each take their toll on the scheme, leading to misplaced bravado, faulty communication and plain old dirty double crossing.” (credit: David Blakeslee)
Liebe ist kälter als der Tod | Rainer Werner Fassbinder | 1969 | 88′ | German with swedish subtitles | DCP
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