Gods of the Plague

Harry Baer and Margarethe von Trotta loll in Gods of the Plague

RW Fassbinder's Gods of the Plague, his third feature, is set amidst the demimonde of Munich. Harry Baer plays Franz Walsch, an aimless sort who has just been sprung from prison as this 1970 film commences. He bounces between women, most memorably Hanna Schygulla and Margarethe von Trotta, before reconnecting with old chum Gunther (Fassbinder regular and sometime boyfriend, Gunther Kaufmann) with whom he plans an ill-advised supermarket robbery. 

The first Fassbinder film with intimations of greatness, Gods of the Plague is one of the more languid noirs in the history of cinema. Fassbinder is overly fond, at this stage in his career, of signaling his characters' alienation with long pauses and lengthy strolls away from the camera. Regardless, the cinematography by frequent collaborator Dietrich Lohmann etches memorable canvases from the grungy card rooms and dingy cafes the characters frequent.

The film is the usual (for Fassbinder) downbeat portrait of a world where sexuality is another form of domination and every cop is a criminal. Still, there are many moments of beauty amidst the squalor, gorgeous aerial shots of the Bavarian countryside, a musical tribute to Dietrich by Schygulla and a tender moment where Gunther nuzzles a sheep. A must for fans of the troubled German maestro.