This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown round #2”. Read more about that here.
Angst essen Seele auf (Ali: Fear Eats the Soul)
This is probably Fassbinder's most seen and acclaimed film he made in his short but highly prolific career. Touted as a remake of All that Heaven Allows (which I have seen), it's really more of an inspiration than a recognizable remake. The basic idea of an older woman forming a romantic relationship with a younger man is compounded by the fact that she is a white German woman and he is a dark skinned Arab. This challenges the views of most of the people in society around them of what an appropriate relationship is including the woman's children. But beyond this connection, the movies are drastically different. The characters have different temperaments and are a little less pure hearted (and more realistic).
It's a captivating movie with simple quiet scenes mixed with some of real charged emotion. We are introduced to some characters that seem to have been unaffected by society's relentless judgment about what kind of people should associate with each other. And with separate cultures' insistence on aspects of their culture that are incompatible with other cultures. And as we come to love these characters we soon see that these virtues that seem so innate in them are not things that come as easy as it first seems. These people are not as naive as we first come to believe. They have been fighting a noble war to keep their views of other cultures open and pure in spite of so many societal pressures. And sometimes these characters cave in.
The movie grows in complexity and drama while maintaining a core of simplicity. Fassbinder may not appeal to me on all levels, but I can recognize his label as a genius film director and one of the most talented and revolutionary figures in the world of film.
Rating: 8/10