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Fox and His Friends

Faustrecht der Freiheit

  • Status: Released
  • 06-06-1975
  • Runtime: 125 min
  • Score: 7.263
  • Vote count: 137

Fox, a former circus performer, wins the lottery of DM 500,000 and can now have the life and things that he has always wanted. He enters an abusive relationship with wealthy industrialist Eugen in an attempt to climb the social ladder. His desperation for love and affection soon spirals into tragedy.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Franz "Fox" Bieberkopf

Peter Chatel

Eugen Thiess

Karlheinz Böhm

Max

Adrian Hoven

Wolf Thiess, Eugen's Father

Christiane Maybach

Hedwig

Harry Baer

Philip

Hans Zander

Barman Springer

Kurt Raab

Wodka-Peter

Rudolf Lenz

Attorney Dr. Siebenkäss

Karl Scheydt

Klaus

Peter Kern

Florist "Fatty" Schmidt

Karl-Heinz Staudenmeyer

Krapp

Walter Sedlmayr

Car Dealer

Bruce Low

Doctor

Marquard Bohm

American Soldier

Brigitte Mira

Shopkeeper #2

Evelyn Künneke

Secretary at Travel Agency

Barbara Valentin

Albine

Elma Karlowa

Shopkeeper #1

Ingrid Caven

Singer in Bar

Lilo Pempeit

Neighbor

Ulla Jacobsson

Eugen's Mother

Hark Bohm

Policeman Müller (uncredited)

Katherina Buchhammer

Madame Antoinette (uncredited)

El Hedi ben Salem

Salem the Moroccan (uncredited)

Irm Hermann

Madame Cherie / Bar Singer (voice) (uncredited)

Dietrich Kerky

Inspector Braun (uncredited)

Ursula Strätz

Isabel (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Hats off to Rainer Werner Fassbinder who does just about everything in this rather sad depiction of a young gay bloke who wins the lottery. His lifestyle changes overnight, as does his popularity with the venal, exploitative "Eugen" (Peter Chatel) who becomes his boyfriend only to bleed the rather naive young fella dry. Sadly, much of the potency has long since departed this very dated drama. The imagery - plenty of full frontal male nudity and a causal, seedy, approach to sex in general was probably shocking in 1975 - but 55 years later, it is nothing remarkable; indeed at times it seems curiously prurient as there is virtually no actual sex. It has lost none of it's poignancy though - as a rather savage indictment of the human creature when large sums of money become involved, and of how the vulnerable just end up getting used - albeit sometimes willingly - as they enjoy their new status as "somebody's" before ending up totally abandoned by their parasite friends when the money runs out and the spotlight is shining elsewhere. I never found Fassbinder to be a physically attractive man, but like Klaus Maria Brandauer (to whom he bears a passing resemblance) he has a charisma that gets under the skin - and in this rather sordid tale of excess he excels. The supporting cast are competent, but this really is a one man show which, though I cannot honestly say I enjoyed, is well worth watching.