The Niklashausen Journey

An effete, Robert Plant-like messianic figure with a galvanizing line in socio-political rhetoric is instructed by holy mother Mary to stoically undertake an oracular exodus to Niklashausen, and thereby righteously rabble rouse the oppressed proletariat to forcibly emancipate themselves from the crushing yoke of capitalism and deleterious psychic constraints of ecclesiastical dogma! Right on, man!!!!! While some may find Fassbinder's aggressively didactic exodus 'The Niklashausen Journey' a trifle strident at times, this frequently exhilarating, strangely edifying work of agitprop cinema has clearly influenced the beauteous cinema of Derek Jarman, and I would be very surprised if the irrepressible sleaze n' cheeze supremo John Waters wasn't a huge fan of it too!

Considering Fassbinder's background, the verbose, artsy film's overt theatricality seems inevitable, and while he certainly articulates his voice with a Stentorian rigour,the extremely colourful performances from his super-expressive troupe of fine actors are no less vividly rendered, featuring expressly robust work from a grotesque-looking Kurt Raab as the porcine, wickedly degenerated Bishop, and Fassbinder's effervescent muse Hanna Schygulla is a shimmering crystalline beacon of eternally captivating light! If Ken Russell had directed 'Weekend' instead of Godard it might somewhat partially resemble maestro Fengler & Fassbinder's tub-thumping, iconoclastic, Red Flag waving 'The Niklashausen Journey'. I absolutely adored it, but I also actively like Billy Blanks movies, so one should dismiss everything I say with suspicion! Beautifully shot on 16 mm, the technical merits are outstanding, with a beguilingly innovative score by Peer Raben, and featuring a thrilling live performance by trance-rock titans Amon Düül II proved to be a demonstrative highlight!