The Merchant of Four Seasons (Händler der vier Jahreszeiten)
DVD - £19.99 Cat No: FCD285
Starring: Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Andrea Schober, Gusti Kreissl Directed by: R. W. Fassbinder Rating: 15 Duration: 88 mins
Overview:
The Rainer Werner Fassbinder Foundation presents....
THE MERCHANT OF FOUR SEASONS
Fassbinder’s critique on materialism and capitalism is widely
considered to be his greatest ever melodrama
Hans Epp is a man whose existence seems cursed,
who lives in a state of anticipatory despair. After ill-fated
stints in the French Foreign Legion and the police force, he's
reduced to pushing a barrow through 1950’s Munich, selling fruit and
vegetables. His lowly social station costs him the woman he loves
and furthers the contempt his family already feels for him,
Life temporarily looks up, ironically, after
Hans nearly dies of a heart attack and a change of fortune in the
business. However, Hans begins a slow slide into depression as his
friend and employee, Harry gradually begins to usurp Hans' place in
his household, leaving Hans with nothing but time to think.
Extras:
- Women on Fassbinder (58 min Documentary)
- Life, Love and Celluloid (90 min Documentary)
- Notes by Jim Clark
