The Merchant of Four Seasons

Fassbinder’s first foray into melodrama follows an ex-policeman forced to become a fruit-seller, while his wife craves bourgeois respectability and his family despises his lowly status.

Wonderfully written, acted and directed, this heart-rending tale was Fassbinder’s first venture into popular melodrama. Sacked from the police force for a sexual indiscretion, Hans (Hirschmüller) is now a struggling fruit-seller whose wife (Hermann) craves bourgeois respectability, while his wider family despises his lowly status. Portrayed with sympathy and rigour, Fassbinder’s characters all have their reasons...