Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (1972)

Händler der vier Jahreszeiten: Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. With Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch. Hans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.

“The Merchant of Four Seasons received all major W German film awards for 1971 but it took a couple of more years for Fassbinder to break through internationally. TM4S is a fairly simple story but it can be difficult or painful to watch due to the subject matter: class prejudices, domestic violence, infidelity, family discord, depression and self-destructive behavior. In other words it presents a bleak view of the world and its human inhabitants. I believe thereu0026#39;s an undercurrent of cutting humor throughout although itu0026#39;s interesting that no examples spring to mind and itu0026#39;s not campy. I saw TM4S in the mid-70s and in 2015 didnu0026#39;t remember much at all (other than not liking it), which suggests I repressed a lot that first time. I now think itu0026#39;s the first of a few masterpieces by a director whose importance will certainly endure.”