Review of Fear of Fear (1975) by Gustav V — 03 Feb 2013

A lonely, socially disenfranchised scullery maid weds a strapping young blackamore and incurs the vicious, racist wrath of her family and acquaintances in Ranier Fassbinders compelling, timeless tragedy of anguish and despair. The benevolent cleaning lady, Emi Kurowski, and the Moroccan, Ali, are swept together by a tide of mutual loneliness, but their union is strained by random acts of hostility visited upon them by a blindly conventional community.

Emi is only forgiven for her transgression when her cruel peers realize that their ability to ruthlessly exploit her is now in jeopardy. As the external pressures over the couple begin to subside, internal conflicts surface. The film's ending, as sudden and melodramatic as life can be, is a reflection of the unendurable tension Ali experiences as a stranger in a hostile land. But Emmi is able to suggest a solution: "When we're together, we must be nice to one another.''.