Watch The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972) Free Online

Release Date: 1972

Cast: Hanna Schygulla, Hans Hirschmuller, Karl Scheydt, Klaus Löwitsch, Irm Hermann, Andrea Schober

Categories: Movies, Family Drama, Drama Film, World Cinema

The Merchant of Four Seasons (German: Händler der vier Jahreszeiten) is a 1971 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmueller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s West Germany, who is driven over the edge by an uncaring society. The title derives from the french expression for a fruit and vegetable seller, "un marchand des quatre-saisons". The film explores issues of class prejudices, domestic violence, infidelity, family discord, depression and self-destructive behavior. Hans, an ordinary but... MORE

The Merchant of Four Seasons (German: Händler der vier Jahreszeiten) is a 1971 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmueller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s West Germany, who is driven over the edge by an uncaring society. The title derives from the french expression for a fruit and vegetable seller, "un marchand des quatre-saisons". The film explores issues of class prejudices, domestic violence, infidelity, family discord, depression and self-destructive behavior. Hans, an ordinary but likable man, returns home after spending several years in the French Foreign Legion. He is berated by his mother ("The good die young, and people like you come back," she says after hearing about the death of the young friend Hans had taken to the army with him). Hans works as a fruit peddler, calling out his products and diligently making his rounds through the residential streets. Short and stocky, he is married to the slim and taller Irmgard, who helps him with his work. They have a small daughter, Renate. One day Hans sells fruit to an attractive married woman in an apartment building. She asks him LESS