The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)

Famed German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder typically portrays aspects of the human struggle using an unwavering style that is often difficult to watch but provides a refreshingly raw and honest narrative perspective.

MERCHANT OF FOUR SEASONS is an engaging close-up portrait of a downtrodden
fruit seller named Hans. Full of hope after serving with the Foreign Legion, Hans becomes a police officer--only to be fired for an indiscretion with a prostitute, humiliating himself and his family. Hungry for a piece of the economic boom of the 1950s, Hans begins selling produce from a cart, much to the dismay of his class-conscious family. Saddled with a shrewish wife, Hans derives most of his pleasure from drink and flirting with a former girlfriend, whom he truly loves. However, when he hires a former Foreign Legion friend to help with his business, things suddenly take an unfortunate turn, making Hans obsolete in the process.

THE MERCHANT OF FOUR SEASONS was a turning point in Fassbinder's career, marking his entry into the international arena and the subsequent scrutiny of his notorious private life.