FEAR EATS THE SOUL

West Germany, 1973, 92 minutes, Colour.
Brigitte Mira, El Hedi Ben Salem, Barbara Valentin, Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Fear Eats the Soul is one of Fassbinder's most accessible films. It is quite a humane story considering a black African migrant at work in Germany and his emotional attachment and friendship with an elderly German woman. Brigitte Mira, who has appeared in many of Fassbinder's films, is superb as the lady. There is very good observation of Germany in the 70s, especially in the world of migrants and workers. A recommended serious study of human beings.

1. The use of the title during the film, its explanation as a proverb? Its embodying the themes of the film?

2. What was the overall impact of the film? The realism of the plot, the humanity of the individuals, the themes of relationship, fear and prejudice?

3. The use of Munich for locations? The colour, the details of the houses, the people, the streets and bars? The atmosphere of authenticity? The Arab migrants?

4. Audience response to the world of the migrant? Arab Moroccans in Germany? The way of life, their grouping together, prejudice? The symbol of the ulcers and the illness at the end? The sense of hopelessness?

5. The contrast with the Germans? The war and Nazi background? Munich and Nazism? The racist attitudes? The prejudice? The manifestation in the charwomen, the people in the bar, the grocer, Emmy's children?

6. How much pessimism in attitude was there in the film? Pessimism in human nature? Especially Emmy's children, ordinary people's prejudice? The hopelessness for the migrants?

7. What optimism and hope? Relationship and time breaking prejudices? Needs and love transcending prejudices?

8. How real was the character of Emmy? Her age, sheltering in the rain, widow and mother? Her loneliness? Her response to the dancing? Her needs? Her changing? Her blind spots in Ali's regard? The possibilities of the love affair, the marriage? Her being hurt when cut off? The importance of the holiday? Her fears when she did not realize her prejudice? The symbolism of the dancing? Her final plea to Ali? Her being hurt by his infidelity? Her fidelity at the hospital? An exploration of a real and lonely character?

9. Ali as compared with her? How well portrayed was his character? His being situated amongst the migrants, the Arabs, in Germany? The groupings at the bar? Barbara's role? The joke of dancing with Emmy? The growing awareness of a real need? The capacity for talk? Love? The language barriers? Other barriers? Ali receiving the hurt of prejudice? The family? The change in marriage? The importance of the holiday? His response to Emmy's treating him as a showpiece? His return to Barbara, the passion with Barbara, callous attitudes, gambling, slapping Emmy? The collapse and the reconciliation? The symbolism and reality of the ulcer? How much an exploration of a real person.

10. The film's comment on Emmy's children? The blindness of their reaction? The selfishness, the disregard of their mother's feelings? The kicking in of the television etc.? The change and reconciliation when they needed her? The lack of love, the using of other people?

11. The presentation of Emmy's neighbours, the people in the bar, the shopkeeper and his wife, the landlord's son? What comments on human nature?

12. The film's reliance on details of home life for establishing the relation ship between Emmy and Ali?

13. The symbolic actions within this ordinary detail eg. the dance, the drink, the slap?

14. What insights into prejudice did the film offer?

15. The exploration of the nature of fear?

16. How much insight into the meaning of life through his exploration of character and relationships?