Chen Ping, 27/04/2007
Ali Fear Eats the Soul is probably Fassbinder's most easily accessible film, and one of his most touching.
It shows us the dynamics of a romance between a German widow and a much younger Moroccan guestworker in 1970s Munich. They become targets for racism, agism and political concervatism. But they love each other and survive, kind of.
These dynamics are expressed not only in the dialogue and narrative elements of Fassbinder's film but also the decor, framing of shots, camera angles and movement. Ali Fear Eats the Soul is at once melodramatic (a la Sirk), anti-melodramatic (a la Bert Brecht), expressionist, pessimistic yet not simply defeatist.
This is an important film from "the last great director of the twentieth-century" and deserves to be seen. Furthermore, this DVD features a 50 minute documentary about Fassbinder, a 50 minute interview with the man, an interview with director Todd Haynes, one of his early short films - "The City Tramp", a theatrical trailer and liner notes. The feature is deserving of all these extras and the DVD, in my Fassbinder worshipping mind - is a must own.
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