The Merchant of Four Seasons (15)

Released in 1972, The Merchant of Four Seasons was a turning point in the career of director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It marked both an international breakthrough, receiving critical acclaim outside and inside West Germany, and a notable increase in cinematic sophistication.

The latter pointed to the fact that in the early 1970s Fassbinder had become interested in the work of Douglas Sirk and his stylish Hollywood melodramas. As the director’s own work quickly began to reflect this influence, his use of visual elements such as colour and framing came to the fore.

Utilising this newly found formal rigour, The Merchant of Four Seasons examines the impact of the post-war West German economic miracle through the story of Hans, a fruit seller in 1950s Munich, and his family and circle of friends. It remains one of Fassbinder’s most striking works. 

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