Fassbinder, My Valentine of Choice

It's Valentines Day.. And while I don't really buy into America's celebration of everyone spending money to prove that we love each other - I suppose that it isn't such a bad idea to reflect on the people we care about. So I'm going to do just that and reflect a little on German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. He may not have been known as the most likable fellow, but his films make up for any nasty personality traits that he might have had. In a 13 year period (he died at age 37) he directed over 40 productions, mostly feature films, but also some TV specials and a 14 part miniseries called Berlin Alexanderplatz.

The reason I love Fassbinder, is that his films, especially his later works, were often amazing combinations of quality storytelling with social critique. He would create films about people, making the stories strong enough to stand on their own, but going a step further and adding a layer of subversion, often discussing his homeland and what frustrated and disappointed him about his government and his people. He did so in an effortless sort of way, weaving political and social ideas with emotion and character to create one cohesive vision.

His work is known to be depressing and while it may not inspire folks in a typical feel good sort of way, any film or piece of art that attempts to ignite discussion or criticize the status quo, is indirectly a call to action and is personally for me, the most exciting thing I can think of. One of his films in particular seems appropriate to discuss today, Ali : Fear Eats the Soul, Fassbinder's tribute to the filmmaker he loved, Douglas Sirk. His story of an older German woman who falls in love with a much younger Moroccan man is perhaps the closet he got to a love story that wasn't all together tragic.

In the story, Emmi (Brigitte Mira) is a widowed cleaning lady with 3 grown-up children. When she randomly goes into a bar to escape the rain, she meets Ali (El Hedi ben Salem), a Moroccan garage mechanic. Ali's friends dare him to talk to the old woman, who is out of place in the bar not only because of her age, but because the bar is a meeting place for immigrants. He asks Emmi to dance and after some conversation and a walk home, they both realize how lonely they have been and see being together as a solution for this loneliness. They quickly marry, much to the chagrin of Emmi's family and friends, who all disown her in a sense when they find out.

More than a love story, Ali is a honest portrayal of racism in Germany following the 1972 Olympics that were held in Muinch, where Palestinians killed a group of Israeli athletes. The town's feelings toward Ali mirror the feelings of the nation.

So please, in honor of reflecting on those we love, watch the clip below from Ali : Feat Eats the Soul - one of my favorite scenes from any movie and check out one of the prolific director's many films.