Fox and His Friends 1975 ‘Faustrecht der Freiheit’ Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Fox, a former circus performer, wins the lottery of DM 500,000 and can now have the life and things that he has always wanted. While he wants to climb up the social ladder, it isn't without turmoil, and being torn between his old working class roots, and the shiny new facade of middle class consciousness.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Peter Chatel Karlheinz Böhm Adrian Hoven Christiane Maybach Harry Baer Rudolf Lenz Kurt Raab Karl Scheydt Brigitte Mira Barbara Valentin Walter Sedlmayr Peter Kern Bruce Low Marquard Bohm Evelyn Künneke Elma Karlowa Lilo Pempeit Ingrid Caven Ulla Jacobsson Hark Bohm Irm Hermann El Hedi ben Salem
La ley del más fuerte, O Direito do Mais Forte, O Direito do Mais Forte à Liberdade, A szabadság ököljoga, Frihedens knytnæve, Özgürlügün zorbalik hakki, Vahvemman oikeus, Le droit du plus fort, Il diritto del più forte
The tragic trajectory of Fox is evident from the start, though the exact details of his path are worth watching play out. This is a bleak portrait of a man unable to control his life, of the tragedy of being a misfit, of the power of money and love to destroy and blind and confuse. Fassbinder's awkward fool Fox bumbles through his life in a manner Terry Pratchett would call "gormless," and his helplessness is amplified by being a sort of fish-out-of-water socially. It is an indictment of class, a scathing sneer at the divisiveness of financial strata and the shifting mores between them.
At the same time, Fox is shown to be one of the few genuine people in…
Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Fox and His Friends primarily explores the hierarchical power of money. It’s certainly not a movie that communicates these themes positively or pleasurably, with Fassbinder amplifying a trait of willful self-debasement with its protagonist, Fox (played by Fassbinder himself). He excavates sorrow and wisdom from a mischievousness of getting what one wants and displays an excellent approach to both the editing and framing, with dishevelled images and careful composition, and although the overall tone of the film is pessimistic, it’s not without some well-needed humour.
Another masterwork from the late German genius, Fassbinder both figuratively and literally puts every inch of himself onto the screen here, showcasing his skill as an actor, a director, and a pianist, performing a multitude of full-frontal nude scenes, and summoning the conviction to convey his struggle with sexuality as openly as possible, producing a piercingly erotic yet tragic depiction of several gay communities striving to belong. Of course, this is only half the magic, the concentration on class-division being the film’s major source of subject matter. Michael Ballhaus‘ photography is as A-grade as ever, and Peer Raben’s breathtaking music almost sounds like one of Jonny Greenwood’s greatest hits with PTA. If Fox and His Friends is anything, it’s admirably brave,…
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mmm I get manipulated and cheated and condescended to and disrespected and abandoned and my labor exploited and love ignored by my friends
Not the expansion to the Fantastic Mr Fox cinematic universe that I was expecting
They say misery loves company, but Fassbinder knows the real truth is that companies love misery. Plays a downright insane tonal gambit, which is to say, this starts as an outright goofy comedy that the acid of capital slowly starts to eat away at until not even the black, corrupted heart is left. Maybe the greatest movie ever made about the economy? You'd think we'd have outgrown this.
I love any sad gay film honestly. This one kind of dragged a little for me in the middle but really picked up in the end. It started as kinda funny and sweet but then by the end I was just so,,,, sad :(
Its just... society really sucks man. Money sucks. People suck. Classism sucks. Homophobia sucks. Can you tell I’m sad tonight lol
48/100
As I remembered it from (yeesh) 20 years ago. (I saw much of Fassbinder's oeuvre for the first time in a big '97 MoMA retro.) Each individual scene is impeccable, but the movie consists of the same impeccable scene repeated over and over and over again, without sufficient variation. The dynamic is clearly established within half an hour; after that, it's strictly a question of whether the next interaction will focus on exploitation, class condescension, or both simultaneously. It's like watching someone being killed via lingchi, with lots of sneering thrown in as well. Nor is Fassbinder strong enough as an actor to make Fox transcend his function as a pathetic, symbolic victim. More an outrage-generating device than even a sociological treatise (much less a narrative), partially redeemed by a strong supporting cast and by the specificity of its queer demimonde.
Bookended my day with gay German cinema!!!
Gotta try that matchstick/phone trick when I'm with bourgeois cunts who judge me for dipping my bread in soup.
don’t think any there’s a movie quite like this one that shows how easily it is for somebody naïve to be manipulated even by people who are similarly marginalized to you. if anything it’s easier for you to be manipulated by your fellow queers then it is to be manipulated by straight people! there’s one prominent straight person in Fox’s vicinity, his sister, and despite all of her flaws m, she truly has Fox’s best intentions in mind, which is more then can be said for his so-called friends.
This is an excellent film about class, friendship and the gay lifestyle. With camerawork and editing that holds the sometimes emotionaless film together, the dramatic irony in Fox and His Friends made my blood boil. God (if you read this) if I ever come into wealth please don't let me be bamboozled by sly "friends" or even worse become like Fox's "friends" :(
the ability to see the tragedy that is about to unfold almost immediately doesn’t take away from the sting. capitalist venture is always an evil. naivety will always be exploited.
a film with almost all queer characters where the main plot of the film doesn’t revolve around sexuality is always refreshing. especially from the 70s.
So beautifully shot. dialogue shots back and forth especially. fantastic use of mirrors. Fox’s jacket is stunningly rhinestoned. a beautiful score and soundtrack choices.
my biggest complaint is sometimes the director’s acting as Fox is just over the top silly in dramatic moments, lashing outs that feel so choreographed. also maybe could be shorter. the repetition of Fox getting exploited eventually feels like every scene follows a similar structure. but i could hear the argument that this repetition is what solidifies Fox’s unsuspecting heart.
Not the expansion to the Fantastic Mr Fox cinematic universe that I was expecting
When your theme is expressed by characters being smelly... nice
Wonderfully anti-capitalist
Random character just has his dong next to a guys face as he's talking to someone, 10/10.
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