Fox and His Friends [Faustrecht der Freiheit] **** (1975, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Peter Chatel, Karlheinz Böhm, Kurt Raab, Adrian Hoven, Harry Baer) – Classic Movie Review 6187

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s bitter and revealing 1975 German film looks at how one minority group exploits others in an unpleasant tale of the survival of the fittest.

Fassbinder himself plays Franz Biberkopf, aka Fox, a gay working class carnival worker and circus performer who wins a lottery fortune and is on the up and up, starting a business and a relationship with Eugen (Peter Chatel) – until he becomes the prey of yuppie gays.

Fassbinder’s loveless study in manipulation, duplicity and self-oppression makes for a none too attractive, liberating or life-affirming movie, though it is memorably well done by actor-writer-director Fassbinder.

Couldn’t a gay film-maker of Fassbinder’s stature just for once celebrate gay male culture joy and happiness? The infuriating reply would be, of course not, where is the conflict and drama in that? In any case, looking to Fassbinder to celebrate joy and happiness is a search in the wrong place.

Fassbinder produces the film and co-writes it (with Christian Hohoff as contributing writer). It is shot in Eastmancolor by Michael Ballhaus, and scored by Peer Raben.

Also in the cast are Karlheinz Böhm, Kurt Raab, Adrian Hoven, Harry Baer, Christiane Maybach, Karl Scheydt and Ulla Jacobsson.

Fassbinder lost much weight to play Fox, with a full-frontal scene.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6187

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