6.7/10
2,442
13 user 33 critic

Love Is Colder Than Death (1969)

Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (original title)
Not Rated | | Comedy, Crime | 16 January 1970 (West Germany)
Love Is Colder Than Death Poster
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 | See full cast & crew »
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2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

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

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. Written by L.H. Wong <as9401k56@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

gangster | pimp | shot to death | street walker | serial killer | See All (61) »

Taglines:

Eine knallharte Geschichte vom Leben, vom Lieben und vom Sterben

Genres:

Comedy | Crime

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | English

Release Date:

16 January 1970 (West Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

Love Is Colder Than Death See more »

Filming Locations:

Landsberger Straße, Munich, Bavaria, Germany See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

DEM 95,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Antiteater-X-Film See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is considered as the first part of a black-and-white Gangster Film Trilogy by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the subsequent films being Gods of the Plague (1970) and The American Soldier (1970). See more »

Quotes

Franz Walsch: I'm looking for round glasses like the cop in "Psycho" had. The guy who finds Janet Leigh's car. Do you know what I mean?
See more »

Crazy Credits

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

Connections

Edited into Ich will nicht nur, daß ihr mich liebt - Der Filmemacher Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1992) See more »

Soundtracks

Der Rosenkavalier
By Richard Strauss
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Joyless, but OK
24 November 2009 | by wvisser-leusden – See all my reviews

'Liebe ist kalter als der Tod (= German for 'love is colder than death'), from 1969, is Rainer Werner Fassbinder's first film.

Shot in black and white, it sometimes shows a little 'wooden' and imperfect. Nevertheless it surely contains all well-known Fassbinder features: a very German setting, slow speed, serious, with a strong touch of realism & pessimism.

Although Fassbinder himself extensively acts, female lead Hanna Schygulla by far adds the greatest value here. After 'Liebe', she should feature in many other Fassbinder-productions.

This film's somewhat weird title nevertheless fully covers its joyless plot. Strangely this lack of fun is somehow accentuated by Schygulla's brief nude appearances. They make an unusual contrast, already revealing Fassbinder's genius at this early stage in his career.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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