Munich pimp Franz relishes his entrepreneurial independence and refuses to join the local mob, despite its allure of cash flow and stability. When Franz befriends the mysterious crook Bruno, the two go on a small but frenzied crime spree of theft and murder, along with Franz’s girlfriend Joanna.

If you’re used to the lush Sirkian Technicolor of Fassbinder’s later films, this feature debut might come as something of a bracing shock. Its monochromatic minimalism and coolly detached subversion of gangster-film tropes are served up with an extra dose of nihilism, because, well, it’s Fassbinder.