LIEBE IST KALTER ALS DER TOD/ LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH

Germany 1969, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Ulli Lommel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake,
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.


After making three short films, Rainer Werner Fassbinder this as his first feature film. Dedicated to New Wave directors like Claude Chabrol and Eric Rohmer, the film is at tour-de-force from the director at age 24. He was to make many films from the late 60s until 1982 when he died at the age of 37.

As often, he appears in the film himself. He is Franz, a petty criminal and pimp, being interviewed by members of the Syndicate so that he would work for them. Their emissary is Bruno, played by Ulli Lommel, who was to make a significant German film himself, Tenderness of the Wolves, 1973, but later moved to the United States where he earned a mixed blessing reputation, especially for directing low-budget horror films and movies based on the lives of criminals like David Berkowitz, Son of Sam. His work was derided by many critics.

The first 20 minutes of this film, in black-and-white, are played out against a blank floor and a blank wall, the actors moving in and out with rugs for mattresses and beds…

It does open up, especially with a train ride and the scenery passing the window. Then there are scenes in the street, in rooms, a phone booth…

The plot is rather basic, showing the determination of the Syndicate in the opening scenes, introducing their emissary, Bruno, and his encounter with Franz and the devices he uses to persuade Franz. Franz also persuades Bruno to track down his girlfriend, played by Hannah Schygulla who was to appear in a number of Fassbinder’s films. There are a couple of female roles, especially some prostitutes that Bruno encounters in trying to find the girlfriend.

There is some drama at the end, the girlfriend betraying Franz and phoning the police.

The film made an impact and received an award at the 1969 Berlin film Festival and launched Fassbinder on a prolific career in a short time an admiration around the world for his films, controversial content (though homosexual, he was twice married, was seen as a West German anti-Communist…) And his skill in storytelling and experimental cinematic style.