The Merchant of Four Seasons (1971)
- Director(s):
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
My RatingTheatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons) is about the deterioration of a man's soul. 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 He is withdrawn, crushed, and humiliated.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 turns to drinking and violence, but his rage causes his wife and daughter to leave him. While desperately begging for their return, Hans 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 success also begins to displace Hans -- with his fruit stand, with his wife, and even with his child. Hans becomes useless, a nothing -- exactly what his mother, his wife, and those around him set him up to be. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 88 mins
Complete Cast:
- Harry Baer - Candidate
- Ingrid Caven - The merchant's great love
- Irm Hermann - Irmgard Epp
- Klaus Löwitsch - Harry
- El Hedi Ben Salem - The Arab
- Andrea Schober - Child
- Elga Sorbas - Marile Kosemund
- Daniel Schmid - Candidate
- Walter Sedlmayr - Fruit cart salesman
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder - Zucker
- Hark Bohm - Policeman
- Peter Chatel - Doctor
- Gusti Kreissl - Mother
- Lilo Pempeit - Customer
- Karl Scheydt - Anzell
- Hanna Schygulla - First sister
- Kurt Raab - Brother-in-law
- Michael Fengler - Playboy
- Hans Hirschmuller - Hans Epp
- Director(s):
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Writer(s):
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder
- Producer(s):
- Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ingrid Caven
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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