A perfect, rare blending of artistic, emotional and political expression. Deceptively simple and beautifully made.

"Ali's terse speaking matter is ripe with aphorisms, but it's also another way for Fassbinder to evoke the suspended animation of his character's lives." - Ed Gonzalez

well... it's a good, wellmade movie... no doubt about that... It just doesn't do anything in particular for me...

Touching.

Fassbinder's exaggerated style with heavy-handed symbolism and stiff acting undermines the purposed satire. The racist society depicted here is too extreme to relate to and the lack of proper character motivation makes the love story unbelievable. A more subtle style would have worked much better. As is, it's ultimately a rather dull and irrelevant film.

The tension in this movie is thick. I'm a big fan of All that Heaven Allows, and this movie, while i suppose is a remake, is unique and original in its own way that it warrants to be viewed as its own, and not a rehash of any sort.

The racial themes are a bit heavy handed at times (though they become more complex later in the film), but the romance is subtle and touching in a way that few other films can compare to. Sad without being overbearing and not without a sense of hope. And the photography is absolutely beautiful; Sirk's influence shows in every shot.

200

#212

It's a strong film about intolerance but it could've been done better. It's too simplistic and overly tragic on one hand, but it also feels incomplete in a sense - it's not an impression I can explain, but it's like Fassbinder establishes some themes (such as how people are nice to Emmi to take advantage of her, or how she herself excludes other coworkers) and never fully develops them. It still a great, very vivid film; but it should have been longer.

Sometimes lacking in any subtlety in its portrayal of racism, but really great in every other way.

This was an odd one for me. The romance was strong, as Fassbinder manages to make what could've been a very forced and unconvincing romance into something that unfolded naturally. And as sweet and well-constructed as this was, it was a little blunt and I didn't find it very compelling. Score is not a grade.

One of the best and original romance stories that I've ever see. It's spellbinding with soulful acting and has great chemistry between the actors. Fassbinder's direction is superb.

Oddly enough, this kind of Sirkian melodrama works better in German films than American.

Gorgeous, colorful, quirky love story about an older woman and a foreign man falling in love, and the reactions of those close to them. Confronts racism and ageism in a somewhat simple but genuine way. The film initially seems a bit shallow, simplistic, and wooden, but in the end turns into one of the more complex, heart-wrenching love stories I've seen in a while, especially knowing the history between Fassbinder and lead actor El Hadi ben Salem.