Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (1969)

Unusual gangster story, in which a small-time pimp Franz, who is torn between his mistress and Bruno the gangster sent after him by the syndicate that he has refused to join. Things are ... See full summary »

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writer:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Stars:

Ulli Lommel, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ulli Lommel	...	Bruno
Hanna Schygulla	...	Johanna
Katrin Schaake	...	Dame im Zug
Liz Söllner	...	Zeitungsverkäuferin
Gisela Otto	...	Prostituierte
Ursula Strätz	...	Prostituierte
Monika Nüchtern	...	Kellnerin beim Türken (as Monika Stadler)
Hans Hirschmüller	...	Peter
Les Olvides	...	Georges
Peer Raben	...	Jürgen (also Waffenhändler (voice)) (as Wil Rabenbauer)
Howard Gaines	...	Raoul
Peter Moland	...	Leiter des Syndikatsverhörs
Kurt Raab	...	Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus
Peter Berling	...	Illegaler Waffenhändler
Anastassios Karalas	...	Türke

Storyline

Unusual gangster story, in which a small-time pimp Franz, who is torn between his mistress and Bruno the gangster sent after him by the syndicate that he has refused to join. Things are turned on their head when Franz and Bruno become friends, to the point that they even share Franz's girlfriend Joanna. But Joanna soon becomes bored of Bruno.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | pimp | shot to death | serial killer | cigarette smoking | 

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Taglines:

Eine knallharte Geschichte vom Leben, vom Lieben und vom Sterben

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

16 January 1970 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

El amor es más frío que la muerte

Filming Locations:

Landsberger Straße, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 95,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Antiteater-X-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's English title, "Love Is Colder Than Death", also became the title of a biography of the film's writer-director. "Love Is Colder Than Death: The Life and Times of Rainer Werner Fassbinder" was written by Robert Katz and Peter Berling and first published in 1987.

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Crazy Credits

Für Claude Chabrol, Éric Rohmer, Jean-Marie Straub, Linio und Cuncho

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Connections

Featured in Die Nacht der Regisseure (1995)

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Soundtracks

Der Rosenkavalier
By Richard Strauss

User Reviews

Low energy cinema....at its worst

Rainer Werner Fassbinder is the sort of filmmaker film experts and 'smart people' love...but is a filmmaker the average person would quickly dismiss as pretentious and boring. I would generally put myself in the latter group, though he did make a few excellent low budget films (such as "Ali, Fear Eats the Soul"). In general, however, I find his movies incredibly dull...very, very low energy and made as if everyone involved with the project were heavily sedated! "Love is Colder Than Death" is worse, however....like they are not just sedated but practically comatose! Imagine...a gangster film where everyone, especially the crooks, are asleep!!

The story is scant. Suffice to say it's about a trio who commit crimes and Bruno ends up killing a lot of folks with zero emotion, zero energy and, as a result, zero interest by someone watching the movie. They exist...they don't live.

The bottom line is that this is a dull, pretentious sort of artsy picture. I hate such films. I would MUCH prefer film noir or French film noir (such as a film by Melville)...not this slow as molasses and uninvolving low budget crap. It's just plain boring...even when one of the character takes off her clothes!