Fassbinder's western with spoken lines in German. An interesting film of Fassbinder because you get to peer into his personality and his intricate knowledge of his actors' psyche. Gunther Kaufman on screen plays the mulatto character Whity, whose mother is black and biological father is possibly his master. Whity offers himself to be whipped in the place of his master's son--a commendable Christian action. Decades later after Fassbinder had died, Kaufman goes to prison to protect his own wife, who was suffering from cancer, for a crime she had perpetrated. Did Fassbinder see this hidden characteristic in Kaufman's character?
The tale is sewn together with negative characters: Whity's masters' family all who wish to kill his master, a prostitute who lies to the law to protect his master from a murder she has witnessed, a gunslinger (Fassbinder) who hates blacks, Whity's master who lies about his medical condition, etc. Everybody would like to kill or lie.
The end itself is spectacularly negative--something close to Nietzsche's philosophy. Visually powerful end, that beats logic for survival, as we understand it.
Ballhaus' cinematography and Kurt Raab's creditable production design are commendable. Syberberg's actor Harry Baer in two of Syberberg's best films (Hitler; and Ludwig) has a minor role.
The tale is sewn together with negative characters: Whity's masters' family all who wish to kill his master, a prostitute who lies to the law to protect his master from a murder she has witnessed, a gunslinger (Fassbinder) who hates blacks, Whity's master who lies about his medical condition, etc. Everybody would like to kill or lie.
The end itself is spectacularly negative--something close to Nietzsche's philosophy. Visually powerful end, that beats logic for survival, as we understand it.
Ballhaus' cinematography and Kurt Raab's creditable production design are commendable. Syberberg's actor Harry Baer in two of Syberberg's best films (Hitler; and Ludwig) has a minor role.