http://www.fandango.com/rainerwerner...ography/p89436
Sorry for the
GINORMOUS posting, but Fassbinder was the most prolific, interesting, maddening, truthful, brave, and self-destructive director off all time. I have a very interesting biography of him, as well as many of his films in my collection. Although the above article doesn't explicitely say so, Fassbinder was (most likely) a suicide. In his brief life he was born at THE particular place and time (immediate post-WWII Germany), as an ontelligent, precocious, homosexual boy...that provided the impetus fore his unique vision and large body of work. The way he lived his life at such a frenetic pace...trying to do as much in life (and get as much out of his life) makes me think of that description by Millay:
A candle burned at both ends cannot outlast the night, But ah my foes, and ah my friends, it gives a lovely light
What Fassbinder most often portrayed were some of the gritty truths of this world, and these truths are seldom pretty. But, if what the romantics like Millay believed is true, that "Truth is BEAUTY and BEAUTY is TRUTH", then Fassbinder achieved that. While not all of his many works are worthy representatives of his genius (certainly
Querelle, which he was editing at the time of his death, was a disappointment...perhaps attributable to time constraints, as well as rushed and poor editing in the wake of his death), Fassbinder did create a number of important works of art. He is still one of the most highly regarded directors among OTHER directors, which says volumes.