Angst essen Seele auf (1974)

Director:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writer:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (writer)

Release Date:

15 August 1974 (Denmark)

Plot:

Emmi, a woman truly in the second half of life, falls in love with Ali, a Berber guest worker more than ten years younger...

Plot Keywords:

Jukebox | Perforated Ulcer | Cigarette Smoking | Couscous | Grocer

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Brigitte Mira	...	Emmi Kurowski (Emanuela ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha)
El Hedi ben Salem	...	Ali (El Hedi ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha)
Barbara Valentin	...	Barbara
Irm Hermann	...	Krista
Karl Scheydt	...	Albert Kurowski
Marquard Bohm	...	Gruber
Walter Sedlmayr	...	Angermayer
Doris Mattes	...	Mrs. Angermeyer (as Doris Mathes)
Lilo Pempeit	...	Mrs. Münchmeyer
Gusti Kreissl	...	Paula
Margit Symo	...	Hedwig
Elisabeth Bertram	...	Frieda
Helga Ballhaus	...	Yolanda
Elma Karlowa	...	Mrs. Kargus
Anita Bucher	...	Mrs. Ellis
Peter Gauhe	...	Bruno Kurowski
Hannes Gromball	...	Waiter
Katharina Herberg	...	Girl in bar
Rudolf Waldemar Brem	...	Bar patron
Peter Moland	...	Chief garage mechanic
Hark Bohm	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ingrid Caven	...	(uncredited)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder	...	Eugen, Krista's husband (uncredited)
Wolfgang Hess	...	Voice of Ali (voice) (uncredited)
Kurt Raab	...	Car Mechanic (uncredited)

Directed by
Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder		writer

Produced by
Rainer Werner Fassbinder	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Jürgen Jürges

Film Editing by
Thea Eymèsz		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Rainer Werner Fassbinder		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Helga Kempke	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Christian Hohoff	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rainer Langhans	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Fritz Müller-Scherz	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Gauhe	....	still photographer
Ekkehard Heinrich	....	lighting technician
Thomas Schwan	....	assistant camera

Production Companies

• Filmverlag der Autoren
• Tango Film

Distributors

• Filmverlag der Autoren (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• New Yorker Films (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (????) (Germany) (DVD) (special edition)

Also Known As:

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (USA)
Alle Türken heißen Ali (West Germany) (working title)
Fear Eats the Soul

Runtime:

Germany:93 min | USA:94 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | Arabic

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Singapore:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Filmverlag der Autoren

Quotes:

Emmi Kurowski: We'll be rich, Ali... and we'll buy ourselves a little piece of heaven.
Ali: Why heaven?
Emmi Kurowski: Oh, just a fancy of mine.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Angst isst Seele auf (2003)

Is it love?

First of all, this film has definitely the best (German) movie title ever. It loses much of its power when it's translated but in German it is absolutely fascinating.

On the other hand, Fassbinder's movies and especially this one are not untranslatable, which is positive. The story about a love (is it?) between two people of different age and origin is universal and, though set in a very xenophobe and intolerant Germany, should be understood by everybody all over the world. Fassbinder is a master in guiding his actors so they can they play naturally and believably without using a particular local accent or slang that is probably more realistic.

I do not completely agree with the film's utterly pessimistic view on practically all the characters in the movie; I think his portray of contemporary society is a little bit exaggerated (and it was even twenty-five years ago). However, I acknowledge that by means of exaggerating like this, Fassbinder makes his criticism clear and evokes a particularly bad feeling (of guilt?) in the viewer's belly. While the story is rather sad, it includes a lot of (sarcastic) side-swipes on society as it is.

Angst essen Seele auf (oh, this is a marvellous title!) is maybe a more silent version of Harold and Maude; more silent but not less interesting.