The Merchant of Four Seasons
| The Merchant of Four Seasons | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Written by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Produced by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder |
| Starring | Hans Hirschmüller Irm Hermann Hanna Schygulla Klaus Löwitsch |
| Cinematography | Dietrich Lohmann |
| Edited by | Thea Eymèsz |
| Music by | Rainer Werner Fassbinder Peer Raben (arranger) |
Production company | Tango Film |
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | German |
| Budget | DEM 178,000 (estimated) |
The Merchant of Four Seasons (German: Händler der vier Jahreszeiten) is a 1972 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmüller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s Munich. "Hans - wife-beater, caricature of stunted manhood, treated like shit by his middle-class family—tries to make a little happiness of his own, and fails miserably."
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.