Review of Fear of Fear (1975) by Jiana W — 27 Jun 2010
The title can be a little off-putting, initially, but this is a terrific movie. It's about an unconventional romantic relationship between an older white German woman and a much-younger Arab man. A powerful film that takes a look at the social taboo of interracial dating/marriage in post-war Germany and the prejudice and bigotry that eventually begins to effect the relationship. This movie's decades old but I'd say it's still relevant.
Brigitte Mira, who plays Emmi, is amazing here. I'm not sure how to exactly describe her, but she makes Emmi such a sympathetic and sweet character. You can't help but feel sorry for her, especially at the restaurant scene where everyone is staring at them and she finally breaks down, calling them all "swine" and yelling, "This is my husband! My husband!".
The relationship between Emmi and Ali is done so well, and is so believable, that it took me more than half the movie to realize that there's no kissing in this movie whatsoever. But you still feel that they care about each other.
Lovely, well-done film. I highly recommend it.
This review of Fear of Fear (1975) was written by Jiana W on 27 Jun 2010.
Fear of Fear has generally received very positive reviews.
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