The Merchant of Four Seasons

Tuesday, August 30 - Wednesday, August 31, 2022

DCP Projection

New German Cinema icon Rainer Werner Fassbinder kicked off a new phase of his young career when he made the startling The Merchant of Four Seasons. In this anguished yet mordantly funny film, Fassbinder charts the decline of a self-destructive former policeman and war veteran struggling to make ends meet for his family by working as a fruit vendor. Fassbinder had gained acclaim for a series of trenchant, quickly made early films, but for this one he took more time and forged a new style—featuring a more complexly woven script and narrative structure and more sophisticated use of the camera, and influenced by the work of his recently discovered idol, Douglas Sirk. The result is a meticulously made, unforgiving social satire.

Screening as part of our series Fassbinder’s BITTER TEARS + More, In anticipation of the opening of Francois Ozon’s gender-swapped reimagining of a Rainer Werner Fassbinder masterwork PETER VON KANT

• Language In German with English subtitles
• Year 1971
• Running Time 88 minutes
• Format DCP
• Distributor Janus
• Director Rainer Werner Fassbinder
• Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.