THE MERCHANT OF FOUR SEASONS
synopsis
Fruit vendor Hans cannot please his family. His mother harps on his failures. His wife is openly discontent. He must peddle produce to his beloved ex-girlfriend, and he is mocked by his customers for being shorter and fatter than his wife. He is withdrawn, crushed, and humiliated. He can not meet the high standards of his mother, he has to give up his job as a police officer when he gets involved with a prostitute in the office. He turns to drinking and violence, but his rage causes his wife and daughter to leave him. While desperately begging for their return, he suffers a debilitating heart attack. His family comes back, but Hans is unable to work and must hire help for his fruit stand. Hans' first employee is his wife's ex-lover, whom he fires for embezzling. He then hires a friend and hero from his legionnaire days, Harry, out of pity. Harry is hardworking, diligent, and clever. He turns Hans' business around and enlivens his home life. Harry's success also begins to displace Hans...
international title: | The Merchant of Four Seasons |
original title: | Händler der vier Jahreszeiten |
country: | Georgia |
year: | 1972 |
genre: | fiction |
directed by: | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
film run: | 88' |
release date: | FR 10/02/1972, DE 10/03/1972, IT 26/08/1972, BE 27/09/1974, SE 26/02/1975, FI 11/11/1977, HU 18/05/1978, ES 24/11/1978, PT 20/01/1979, NO 24/03/1983, UK 22/01/1999, PL 23/07/2005 |
screenplay: | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
cast: | Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla |
cinematography by: | Dietrich Lohmann |
film editing: | Thea Eymèsz |
art director: | Kurt Raab |