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IMDbPro

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

Original title: Angst essen Seele auf
  • 19741974
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
21K
YOUR RATING
El Hedi ben Salem and Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
  • Drama
  • Romance
A lonely widow meets a much younger Arab worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking bu... Read allA lonely widow meets a much younger Arab worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking buddies.A lonely widow meets a much younger Arab worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking buddies.
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
21K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Writer
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Stars
    • Brigitte Mira
    • El Hedi ben Salem
    • Barbara Valentin
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Writer
    • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
  • Stars
    • Brigitte Mira
    • El Hedi ben Salem
    • Barbara Valentin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 68User reviews
    • 109Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos165

    El Hedi ben Salem and Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem and Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem and Barbara Valentin in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem and Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    Hark Bohm in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    Barbara Valentin in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem and Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    Brigitte Mira and Peter Moland in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    El Hedi ben Salem in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
    Brigitte Mira in Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Brigitte Mira
    Brigitte Mira
    • Emmias Emmi
    El Hedi ben Salem
    El Hedi ben Salem
    • Alias Ali
    Barbara Valentin
    Barbara Valentin
    • Barbaraas Barbara
    Irm Hermann
    Irm Hermann
    • Kristaas Krista
    Elma Karlowa
    Elma Karlowa
    • Mrs. Kargusas Mrs. Kargus
    Anita Bucher
    • Mrs. Ellisas Mrs. Ellis
    Gusti Kreissl
    • Paulaas Paula
    Doris Mattes
    • Mrs. Angermeyeras Mrs. Angermeyer
    • (as Doris Mathes)
    Margit Symo
    Margit Symo
    • Hedwigas Hedwig
    Katharina Herberg
    Katharina Herberg
    • Girl in baras Girl in bar
    Lilo Pempeit
    • Mrs. Münchmeyeras Mrs. Münchmeyer
    Peter Gauhe
    Peter Gauhe
    • Bruno Kurowskias Bruno Kurowski
    Marquard Bohm
    Marquard Bohm
    • Gruberas Gruber
    Walter Sedlmayr
    Walter Sedlmayr
    • Angermayeras Angermayer
    Hannes Gromball
    Hannes Gromball
    • Waiteras Waiter
    Hark Bohm
    Hark Bohm
    • Doctoras Doctor
    Rudolf Waldemar Brem
    Rudolf Waldemar Brem
    • Car mechanicas Car mechanic…
    Karl Scheydt
    Karl Scheydt
    • Albert Kurowskias Albert Kurowski
    • Director
      • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
    • Writer
      • Rainer Werner Fassbinder
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was shot in only 14 days
    • Quotes

      Girl in bar: Well... are you coming?

      Ali: No.

      Girl in bar: And why not?

      Ali: Cock broken.

    • Crazy credits
      Before the introductory credits there is the line: Das Glück ist nicht immer lustig (Happiness is not always fun)
    • Connections
      Edited into Quand la peur dévore l'âme (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Al Asfouriah
      Written by Philemon Wahba

      Performed by Sabah

    User reviews68

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A German Update of "All That Heaven Allows"
    Rainer Werner Fassbinder's quietly powerful film is a sort-of remake of Douglas Sirk's "All That Heaven Allows," a film and director greatly admired by Fassbinder, but it has a sharper edge than Sirk's film. In "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul," the couple fighting a society's prejudice and resentment of their unconventional love must fight some of their own prejudices as well. In Sirk's film, the only thing imposing on the complete happiness of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson was the busy-body ostracism of family and friends who didn't approve of the relationship between a rich society widow and her working-class gardener. In "Ali," Fassbinder suggests that happiness isn't something that's gained from the approval of others, but rather is the responsibility of the individuals involved. One of the things I liked best about this film is that as the German society gets used to the unconventional romance and begins to accept our two protagonists, the couple themselves begin to struggle to maintain a grip on the happiness they thought would be their's by right.

    Fassbinder's unconventional couple are a frumpy German widow and a Moroccan immigrant 10-15 years younger than her. I gather from this film that Moroccans (or Arabs in general) were about as hated and feared in Germany at the time of this film's release as blacks were in America during the worst of the civil rights movement. So you can imagine how the couple's initial courting and subsequent marriage is handled by their neighbors, friends and family. Fassbinder himself was gay, and many suggest that the film is an allegory for the way homosexuals were persecuted. Fassbinder's private life undoubtedly informed his film, but the movie is really more universal than that. It really applies to anyone who's ever suffered the judgement of a group of people over something that didn't even affect those people, and really, who can honestly say that they've never been subjected to that?

    Fassbinder directs in a low-key, unfussy style, yet he creates images and scenes that linger in the head long after the film is over. It's a lovely film, very well acted, scripted and directed. It's not exactly sad, because it argues that societies are able eventually to adapt to new things and accept things they originally rejected. But it's not exactly happy either, because it suggests that relationships don't necessarily become easier just because external obstacles are removed.

    Grade: A
    helpful•38
    3
    • evanston_dad
    • Sep 14, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • West Germany
    • Official sites
      • Criterion (United States)
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • German
      • Arabic
    • Also known as
      • Fear Eats the Soul
    • Filming locations
      • Munich, Bavaria, Germany
    • Production companies
      • Filmverlag der Autoren
      • Tango Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • DEM 260,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $8,144
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $11,623
      • Feb 16, 2003
    • Gross worldwide
      • $15,698
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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