Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (1974)

Film: Ali: Fear Eats The Soul

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Country: Germany

Released: March 1974

Runtime: 93 minutes

Genre: Drama

Studio: Tango-Film

Influenced: François Ozon, Michel Haneke, Pedro Almodóvar, Tom Tykwer, Maren Ade

The film's original title, Angst essen Seele auf, is a clumsy German phrase which translates literally as "fear eat soul up", hinting at two key aspects of the film – life as a North African immigrant in Europe and the loneliness of a widow. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1974 movie, known more widely as Ali: Fear Eats The Soul, is a significant example of the New German Cinema movement and was inspired by Douglas Sirk's 1955 film All That Heaven Allows, a melodrama about an upper-class widow who falls in love with a much younger, lower-class gardener, facing the disapproval of her children and society. Elements of the film also echo Sirk's Imitation of Life, such as the scene in which the son kicks in the TV.

Fassbinder admired Sirk's melodramas and drew inspiration from their emotional intensity and social critique, transposing it to 1970s West Germany and introducing new themes like immigration. The film is a tale of forbidden love between an older German cleaning woman, Emmi Kurowski (Brigitte Mira), and a younger Moroccan immigrant worker, Ali. Their relationship sparks outrage and disgust within their community owing to a mix of racism, xenophobia and ageism. Fassbinder uses this plot to dissect the complex issues of post-war German society, focusing on themes of racism, alienation and the human need for connection and acceptance. Ali is played by Moroccan-born El Hedi ben Salem, who was Fassbinder's partner at the time the film was made.

One of the major innovations of the film was Fassbinder's stylistic approach. He combined elements of melodrama with a keen socio-political critique, and his use of composition and colour, as well as his theatrical staging and the powerful performances he elicited from his actors all gave the film its distinct visual and emotional power. Fassbinder often isolates his characters within the frame to visually represent their social marginalisation, and in other shots the director often places Emmi and Ali in the centre of the frame, with the surrounding characters keeping a conspicuous distance. Fassbinder's use of vibrant colour was another of his stylistic trademarks, with the colour yellow featuring prominently in the film as the backdrop to scenes of intense emotional turmoil, suggesting its association with the characters' complex emotions.

Later in the film, Ali suffers from a stress-related stomach ulcer, a physical manifestation of the psychological pressure he experiences owing to racial discrimination and social rejection. Emmi's gradual change is also a key aspect of the film; initially, she seems different from her prejudiced neighbours, but as the story progresses, she begins to mimic their behaviour, showing the insidiousness of racial prejudice. The film remains highly acclaimed for its fearless and sensitive handling of issues of racism and ageism and its style was influential in the New German Cinema movement and beyond, winning the International Federation of Film Critics prize at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.