Why Does Herr R Run Amok

Rating: out of
Released: 1970
Directed by: R. W. Fassbinder
Cast: Kurt Raab

In college, my Avant Garde film teacher was a huge Fassbinder fan. At the time, I hadn’t seen any Fassbinder. But, I learned a lot about him. 
 
In one of the lectures, our T.A. was telling us about WHY DOES HERR R. RUN AMOK? He told us the ending of it. Not thinking I’d ever get into Fassbinder (my video stores didn’t carry him, in the pre-internet and Netflix early 90’s), I didn’t mind. The T.A. also told us that the film plays out better if you know the ending.  
 
So, going into HERR R, I did know how it ended. And, I do think that probably the film works better if you do. 
 
But, I won’t spoil the ending. 
 
The film follows Mr. Raab (Kurt Raab), an architect, and his wife. For 80 minutes, we just follow him doing the most mundane things. He talks with co-workers, tells jokes, goes to lunch, goes back to work, buys records, has dinner, goes to the doctor, talks to the school guidance counselor about his song. Not a lot happens. 
 
Until the ending. 
 
I think if you don’t know how it ended, your reaction would be “when is something going to happen?” and when it does, the shock might add to it. You’d be rather bored by the film. 
 
If you do know what happens, you look for clues as to why that happens. 
 
But, does the film work apart from that stunt? Not really. I’ve never been the biggest Fassbinder fan. I appreciate his films, especially how he managed to be so prolific. And his life story certainly was interesting. But, this doesn’t really stand out as one of his best films.  
 


Reviewed by: Jim Magovern

Nov 01,2006