The Merchant of Four Seasons
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Year Released: 1971
Rating: 3.0
Effective film about a grocer who returned from active duty in the 'foreign legion' and can't straighten his life out – his mother is ashamed of him, his wife cheats on him and he's an alcoholic. Simple story (with a predictable resolution) works under the guiding hand of Fassbinder, who (as usual) stays away from technical gimmickry or extreme fanciness, and the result seems almost effortless. I've bitched in the past about how much I can't stand melodrama – and will no doubt complain again in the future – but generally Fassbinder and Almodovar's kind of melodrama works for me; I also liked Fassbinder's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
