El amor es más frío que la muerte

Aesthetically a beautiful film. That being said acting is awful and direction leaves a lot to desire for. Archetypal gangster characters taken to a ridiculous caricaturesque level through uber german coldness. With an erratic rythm I made it to the end thanks it's only 1:25. I guess this is for fans only and film snobs.

A man (Fassbinder himself) is sitting on an armchair, reading the newspaper. Another man walks into frame asks Franz (Fassbinder's character's name) for a cigarette and when he's told 'no!' he takes the newspaper and drops it down on the floor. Franz gets up and beats up the guy. The plot continues: Franz is ordered into this room to work for a criminal syndicate but he wants to be his only chief himself. Franz meets Bruno, a man who works for the syndicate, and they become very good friends. Some days later they meet again and we recognize that Franz is a pimp. Bruno falls in love with Franz' girlfriend (played by Hanna Schygulla) and together they start to rob banks. It is the last coup when Hanna Schygulla calls the police. Bruno is shooten down by some policemen and Fassbinder and Schygulla flee in their car.

The plot is almost as short as Godard's 'Breathless' and I think that that was what Fassbinder really wants to show with this film. When you cinema after seeing this film you don't remember a plot but very much more a feeling - a feeling of social isolation of the main characters, a feeling of loneliness.

In my opinion this is one of the best Fassbinder movies, even if it's not appraised as that good by most of the critics.

Robotic, detached, static...this exercise in style holds fascination for the patient cinema goer. The influence of early Godard is evident, along with a Warholian aesthetic of minimalism in both plot and action.

The black and white cinematography is beautiful to look at, while the blank stares of the cast exude a frigid, mannequin-like quality. The atmosphere is Teutonic and bleak, while the glacial pace and extended pauses in both action and dialogue bring to mind the Iranian school of slow cinema. Film noir elements add a flavour of low-rent glamour.

For serious cinema buffs and Fassbinder enthusiasts only.

This film is not for every one. If you are mostly familiar with American Fim Noir or Gangster movies... Don't Go Here! This is one dark, moody, cynical and depressing film. Yet, that being said, every lingering shot and silent moment has more layers in it then most entire movies do today.

The story here is very simple; two criminals meet when they are recruited by a crime syndicate. They become friends, we find out one is a pimp and the other is a killer for hire. Later, needing a place to stay, the killer falls in love with the pimp's girlfriend (also a prostitute). The three begin to work as a crime trio with the killer doing most of the dirty work.

But the focus here is not the story. Fassbinder subtly allows the three character's relations towards each other become the real story. The people in this film have sold their souls to criminal life a long time ago. Yet, like everyone else in the world, they still struggle for there inner desires, and the need to feel something real.

This movie quite obviously had a very low budget. As a person is shot we, rarely see an exploding squib or even a blank cartridge being fired. The prime focus is the actor facial expressions and reactions. (Equally as powerful, yet more creative then seeing blood) The camera work is extremely minimal, yet far more revealing of the characters subconscious as they walk down a park or into a supermarket.

This is not your modern day first time film maker or film school graduate. Don't expect a Chris Nolan or a Quinten Tarentino. LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH, does borrow from certain film genres but it is so uniquely its own film, and creates such a beautiful sense of detachment that has rarely been attempted in film.

Fassbinder's debut feature seems to be strongly influenced by early Godard films like Breathles or Band of Outsiders in both its gritty black and white style and references to the gangster/noir genres. But where Godard's characters have a playful sense of humor, trying to act their gangster fantasies wearing fedoras and poorly executing non-thought out crimes to the tune of a swinging soundtrack and beautiful woman, Love Is Colder than Death does all with a fridgid, robotic sense of cool. Every shot is like a black and white photo where the acting is like posing in front of mirror before the action (or one of the characters)gets executed. The film is pretty avante-garde in using mostly completely static shots and the characters pretty much act "too cool". They just stare at you as you're supposed to react, then when there's an action, you get surprised and realise it's still in the movie. Forget that the plot is simple, threadbare even, this is an atmosphere piece.