The character of Ali was inscrutable. I don’t think this was what Fassbinder intended, but I got the sense Ali wasn’t that into his wife romantically and mostly saw her as a comforting, maternal figure. His flat affect when he told her how much he loved her was weird. It seemed like once the social pressure was off them he lost interest in her. Maybe he saw her as a fellow outsider, and initially united with her for this reason, but there wasn’t much else to hold them together. I am kind of grasping at straws because I didn’t understand his behavior, especially why he treated her so badly near the end. Anyone have a different interpretation? He explained his unfaithfulness as “nerves”…?
Exactly. I think that’s precisely what Fassbinder intended.
His explorations into the “margins” of society are so invaluable because they make the characters beautiful for all their flaws… We may not understand their actions, but we understand them as people. Is it just that they both wanted acceptance and a warm body to be with? Possibly. Even so, that’s enough. It’s a mournful tale of the imperfection of “love”; it’s near impossibility and the beauty of having it and losing it.
What to make of that dance at the end where Ali says he doesn’t want other women? Do you think Fassbinder intends us to take what Ali says at face value or does he want us question its truthfulness (much like the false happy moment at the end of Rossellini’s Voyage to Italy)?
Ali’s collapse in pain obviously undercuts their tender moment, so maybe his statement is intended to be taken with a grain of salt.
Have the two lovers reached a compromise where the woman can accept her husband’s unfaithfulness as long as he is there for her emotionally, or are they doomed to be on and off forever?
I think it’s open to interpretation. The sentiment may or may not be real, but the emotions between them aren’t. That’s the importance of the scene. The issue isn’t whether they’re being truthful to themselves or to each other, but that what they’ve built, even if not built around perfect “true” love, has some measure of truth in it.
That any real relationship is really only built upon small moments where they promise the world to each other (or not even that), and rarely deliver. It’s very beautiful, and very sad (like most things of any real beauty).
but the emotions between them aren’t.
Did you mean to say “are?”
If so, I agree with your interpretation.
I’m already liking the film even more.
Wait… Yeah… the emotions are real. Sorry.
Probably my third or fourth favourite Fassbinder behind Berlin Alexanderplatz, Lola, and The Marriage of Maria Braun; which, coincidentally are all love stories…
On a visual level, I loved how brazenly ugly (yet beautiful) some of his shot compositions are, with random things sticking in the foreground and oblique angles you’d never think of. Especially enjoyed his sidelong glances at characters through doorways.
That’s very Fassbinder, too. I don’t know if I would describe it as “ugly”… actually I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like super-reflective 16mm that has a very “old” feeling to it, but not so much in a nostalgic sense. But that doesn’t do a good job of describing it…
Whatever his style may be called it’s even more prevalent in Berlin Alexanderplatz, Lola and Querelle. Now he goes all out in those films (though I believe Querelle was shot on 35mm)…
a work that deliberately accentuates and celebrates imperfections and shortcomings of both cinema and humanity with disenfranchised protagonists, blatantly confounding mise-en-scene, and disruptive camera angles and movements. probably my second favorite Fassbinder after he Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.
I can’t really comment on the questions posed by the OP as I can’t remember enough details, but this was my first and favorite Fassbinder film.
Kate
I’d like to start a discussion on this film, which I saw last night and quite enjoyed. I especially loved it on a stylistic level, and it makes me want to check out more Fassbinder. There were a couple of things about the characters that confused me, though.
The character of Ali was inscrutable, which may have partly been the actor’s fault (as I recall Fassbinder put him in the film because they were lovers). I don’t think this was what Fassbinder intended, but I got the sense Ali wasn’t that into his wife romantically and mostly saw her as a comforting, maternal figure and an antidote to his stress. His flat affect when he told her how much he loved her was weird. It seemed like once the social pressure was off them, he lost interest in her. Maybe he saw her as a fellow outsider, and initially united with her for this reason, but there wasn’t much else to hold them together. I am kind of grasping at straws because I didn’t understand his behavior, especially why he treated her so badly near the end. He explained his unfaithfulness as “nerves?” What does that mean? Anyone have a different or better explanation?
Also it seemed bizarre to me how everyone in town suddenly warmed up to the marriage once the couple returned from vacation.