The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)

Hans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writer:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Stars:

Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hans Hirschmüller	...	Hans Epp / Husband
Irm Hermann	...	Irmgard Epp / Wife
Hanna Schygulla	...	Anna Epp / Hans's single sister
Klaus Löwitsch	...	Harry Radek / 2nd salesman
Karl Scheydt	...	Anzell / Irmgard's lover
Andrea Schober	...	Renate Epp / Hans's daughter
Gusti Kreissl	...	Mother Epp
Ingrid Caven	...	Hans's great love
Kurt Raab	...	Kurt / Heide's husband
Heide Simon	...	Heide / Hans's married sister
Peter Chatel	...	Dr. Harlach
Elga Sorbas	...	Marile / The whore
Lilo Pempeit	...	Customer
Walter Sedlmayr	...	Fruit cart salesman (as Walther Sedlmayer)
El Hedi ben Salem	...	The Arab (as Salem El Heïdi)

Storyline

Fruit vendor Hans (Hans Hirschmüller) 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 He is withdrawn, crushed, and humiliated.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 (Klaus Löwitsch), out of pity. Harry is hardworking, diligent, and clever. He turns Hans' business around and enlivens his home life. Harry's...

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Plot Keywords:

cuckolded husband | cheating wife | wife beater | abusive husband | drunkenness | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German Arabic

Release Date:

10 February 1972 (France)

Also Known As:

The Merchant of Four Seasons

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM325,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,623, 16 February 2003

Gross USA:

$8,144

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,144

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tango Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[repeated line]
Hans Epp: Fresh pears!

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Connections

Featured in Yearning for Sodom (1989)

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Soundtracks

Buona Notte
(uncredited)
Written by Rocco Granata & Jules Verard
Performed by Rocco Granata

User Reviews

The human spirit crushed

I didn't find this film as accessible as 'Fox & his Friends' but it was a moving portrayal of a typical Fassbinder victim figure, the eponymous barrow-boy, Hans Epp, whose hopes and dreams are eventually crushed by stultifying conformity (family & society). Some of the scenes are exaggerated (the family confrontations) but I particularly liked the sequence where Hans is desperately searching for meaning & comfort; he tries to find some peace in natural surroundings, goes back to his first lost love in order to recapture past feelings (she's only interested in a quick fling before her husband returns) and visits his sister, perhaps the only person who has any degree of sympathy for him, only to find she's too busy with work.

A poignant story of a vulnerable inarticulate man crushed by his mundane surroundings and bourgeoise, middle-class German values obsessed with economic success and a upward mobility that conveniently papers over the cracks of its more disturbing past.