545 - Berlin Alexanderplatz, Part 6, Germany, 1980. Dir. Werner Rainer Fassbinder.

Monday, December 17, 2018

545 - Berlin Alexanderplatz, Part 6, Germany, 1980.  Dir. Werner Rainer Fassbinder.

Love Has Its Price.

When we left Franz, he was charming Cilly again, despite having just confided in her that he was helping Reinhold get rid of women.  She became enraged but gave in when Franz charmed her.

Silly Cilly.

And yet, now they are really together.  And Franz likes her.

Reinhold is ready for the next woman.  He is tired of Trude and wants to go for Nelly.

But Franz puts his foot down this time.  He says No.  "I'm not kicking Cilly out.  She's really settled in with me, and she's a decent . . . woman."

He tells Reinhold to stop treating women this way.  To pick a woman and stick with her.  In fact, Franz advises Reinhold to stay with Trude, regardless of his feelings.  To make a choice based on principle and not on fleeting emotion.

"They're all human beings, even broads.  Otherwise, you can get a whore for 3 marks who will be happy to move on afterwards.  But beguiling a woman with love and emotion and then dropping her, and one after another--No, Reinhold."

No.

Franz is growing up.  He makes a decision for maturity.  Takes a stand.

"Cilly is staying so well with me.  I'm not kicking her out."

Reinhold is stuck.  Franz holds all the cards, so Reinhold must do what he says.

When Franz tells his friend Meck about it, Meck is incredulous.  He cannot believe the two men made an agreement where Franz would help Reinhold in this way.

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

There will be an accident.

Where Franz will roll off a truck and get run over by the car behind it.

Meck insists that Franz is dead.

We know at least that he is badly injured.

Meck tells Cilly Franz is dead.  Cilly panics.  Returns to Reinhold for help.  Reinhold takes her home with him.  They walk in on Trude.  She has been waiting for him.  For three days.  He pretends he does no know her.  Kicks her out.  He is cruel.  But he feels better for himself.  Because he believes he finally has been able to deal directly with a woman himself.

Meanwhile, we are left until later to learn more about Franz.  We do know the couple who ran over him give him a lift.

And in the his philosophy continues.

"When I continue with this tale, telling it to its bitter, frightful end, I shall often use these words,

'No cause for despair.'"