Fox and His Friends
Encyclopedia
Fox and His Friends, is a 1975
West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
, starring Fassbinder
himself, Peter Chatel and Karlheinz Böhm
. The plot follows the misadventures of a working-class homosexual who falls in love with the elegant son of an industrialist. His lover tries to mold him into a gilt-edged mirror of upper-class values and ultimately swindles the easily flattered lottery winner out of his fortune. The film is an incisive look at the relationship between money and emotions. Love is seen as a commodity that can be bought for money and last just as long as it is profitable.
boyfriend, Klaus, the carnival owner, is arrested for tax fraud. Now jobless, Fox visits Hedwig, his sister, who likes to drink and is in no mood or situation to provide any help. After losing the remaining money that he had, Fox turns to tricks in order to buy the lottery ticket he is convinced will bring him his fortune. Cruising in a public restroom, Fox meets an older man, Max, a sophisticated antique art dealer, who is not willing to give Fox the small amount of money he needs. Undeterred, Fox stops at a flowers shop and swindles the ten marks he needs from the overweight gay florist. With that money, Fox buys a lottery ticket as the newsagent's is closing.
A month later Fox is at a party where Max introduces him to his cultivated gay friends. One of them, the handsome hypocritical Eugen shuns Fox for his proletarian manners, but quickly changes his mind when he learns that Fox has won 500,000 German marks at the lottery. The unscrupulous Eugen, immediately leaves aside his gorgeous boyfriend, Philip and with no effort entices the pudgy and unattractive Fox who he finds an easy prey. They spend the night at Eugen’s apartment starting a relationship. The next morning Philip, finds them together, however Eugen convinces Philip to step aside for sometime. Later, Fox and Eugen go to a working-class gay bar and then to a posh restaurant, where they meet Eugen's two other friends. Eugen then takes Fox round his new factory. Later, Fox goes to a gay spa and talks to Max, who suggests investing in Eugen's company. Fox then takes out 100,000 marks and gives them to Eugen; they go to the factory to tell Eugen's father.
Eugen gets evicted from his apartment for moral reasons (two men living together); he suggests that Fox should buy his own apartment. They visit one and Fox buys it, then buys furniture from the older man for 80,000 marks. They go clothes-shopping at Eugen's ex-boyfriend, Philip, and again Fox pays for it all. Later, they have lunch at Eugen's parents' and Fox has no table manners. He then signs a contract for the 100,000 loan, which he barely understands. Fox and Eugen go to the gay bar, and find that Klaus has been released from prison; Fox lends him 30,000 marks, and Eugen is jealous. At the apartment, they throw a party, during which Philip whispers to Max that he might be living there later;the party ends abruptly when Hedwig, drunk, makes a fuss. To iron out the argument, they decide to go on holiday. At the travel agent, Eugen decides on Marrakech
, Morocco
; Fox pays for it again. There, they pick up a local male prostitute (El Hedi ben Salem
), and go to a restaurant with him; he is not let into the hotel because he is an Arab
. The hotel assistant says, however, that they have male escorts specially for the hotel.
Back from the holiday, the company is bankrupt; the workers cannot be paid. Fox suggests giving his flat to Eugen, so the bank lets him take a loan to pay them. Eugen goes to the opera with the older man, leaving Fox alone; Fox goes to the gay bar, throws a fit, gives 500 marks to the florist and runs off. The next day at the factory, Fox makes a mistake with some imprints; Eugen's father tells him off. Later, they all have dinner together and again, Fox has no table manners or savoir-vivre. Fox goes to a pub and propositions two American
soldiers, but nothing happens, they just leave. He drives to the gay bar, the florist hits on him and Fox slaps him; Fox has a short heart attack. Back at the flat, he tells Eugen about the attack but the lover doesn't seem to care. The next day, he goes to a doctor's, who gives him sedative pills.
Fox breaks up with Eugen, who says he is taking the apartment to make up for the bungled imprints (costing 150,000 marks). At the factory the next day, he is told that the 100,000 marks from the contract was paid back in his monthly salary, he didn't have to work. Later he goes to the apartment and he is not let in; Eugen's ex-boyfriend is there. He then goes to his sister's, they have an argument and he goes to sleep in his car. The next day he sells his new car (a DeTomaso Panthera) for only 8000 marks. Later in the gay bar, Fox sees the American soldiers and they ask him how much he pays; he starts sobbing.
Finally, he is lying on the floor in the underground; he has killed himself with the pills. Two young boys steal his money and golden watch from him. Max and Klaus see him; they leave when they see he is dead, as they do not want to be involved in his death.
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
, starring Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
himself, Peter Chatel and Karlheinz Böhm
Karlheinz Böhm
Karlheinz Böhm is an Austrian actor. The son of conductor Karl Böhm, he is best known internationally for his role as Mark, the psychopathic protagonist of Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell...
. The plot follows the misadventures of a working-class homosexual who falls in love with the elegant son of an industrialist. His lover tries to mold him into a gilt-edged mirror of upper-class values and ultimately swindles the easily flattered lottery winner out of his fortune. The film is an incisive look at the relationship between money and emotions. Love is seen as a commodity that can be bought for money and last just as long as it is profitable.
Plot
Franz Biberkopf, is a sweet but unsophisticated working-class homosexual, who works in a carnival as "Fox, the Talking Head". He finds himself without a job when hisboyfriend, Klaus, the carnival owner, is arrested for tax fraud. Now jobless, Fox visits Hedwig, his sister, who likes to drink and is in no mood or situation to provide any help. After losing the remaining money that he had, Fox turns to tricks in order to buy the lottery ticket he is convinced will bring him his fortune. Cruising in a public restroom, Fox meets an older man, Max, a sophisticated antique art dealer, who is not willing to give Fox the small amount of money he needs. Undeterred, Fox stops at a flowers shop and swindles the ten marks he needs from the overweight gay florist. With that money, Fox buys a lottery ticket as the newsagent's is closing.
A month later Fox is at a party where Max introduces him to his cultivated gay friends. One of them, the handsome hypocritical Eugen shuns Fox for his proletarian manners, but quickly changes his mind when he learns that Fox has won 500,000 German marks at the lottery. The unscrupulous Eugen, immediately leaves aside his gorgeous boyfriend, Philip and with no effort entices the pudgy and unattractive Fox who he finds an easy prey. They spend the night at Eugen’s apartment starting a relationship. The next morning Philip, finds them together, however Eugen convinces Philip to step aside for sometime. Later, Fox and Eugen go to a working-class gay bar and then to a posh restaurant, where they meet Eugen's two other friends. Eugen then takes Fox round his new factory. Later, Fox goes to a gay spa and talks to Max, who suggests investing in Eugen's company. Fox then takes out 100,000 marks and gives them to Eugen; they go to the factory to tell Eugen's father.
Eugen gets evicted from his apartment for moral reasons (two men living together); he suggests that Fox should buy his own apartment. They visit one and Fox buys it, then buys furniture from the older man for 80,000 marks. They go clothes-shopping at Eugen's ex-boyfriend, Philip, and again Fox pays for it all. Later, they have lunch at Eugen's parents' and Fox has no table manners. He then signs a contract for the 100,000 loan, which he barely understands. Fox and Eugen go to the gay bar, and find that Klaus has been released from prison; Fox lends him 30,000 marks, and Eugen is jealous. At the apartment, they throw a party, during which Philip whispers to Max that he might be living there later;the party ends abruptly when Hedwig, drunk, makes a fuss. To iron out the argument, they decide to go on holiday. At the travel agent, Eugen decides on Marrakech
Marrakech
Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
; Fox pays for it again. There, they pick up a local male prostitute (El Hedi ben Salem
El Hedi ben Salem
El Hedi ben Salem , was a Moroccan actor best known for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.-Biography:...
), and go to a restaurant with him; he is not let into the hotel because he is an Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
. The hotel assistant says, however, that they have male escorts specially for the hotel.
Back from the holiday, the company is bankrupt; the workers cannot be paid. Fox suggests giving his flat to Eugen, so the bank lets him take a loan to pay them. Eugen goes to the opera with the older man, leaving Fox alone; Fox goes to the gay bar, throws a fit, gives 500 marks to the florist and runs off. The next day at the factory, Fox makes a mistake with some imprints; Eugen's father tells him off. Later, they all have dinner together and again, Fox has no table manners or savoir-vivre. Fox goes to a pub and propositions two American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers, but nothing happens, they just leave. He drives to the gay bar, the florist hits on him and Fox slaps him; Fox has a short heart attack. Back at the flat, he tells Eugen about the attack but the lover doesn't seem to care. The next day, he goes to a doctor's, who gives him sedative pills.
Fox breaks up with Eugen, who says he is taking the apartment to make up for the bungled imprints (costing 150,000 marks). At the factory the next day, he is told that the 100,000 marks from the contract was paid back in his monthly salary, he didn't have to work. Later he goes to the apartment and he is not let in; Eugen's ex-boyfriend is there. He then goes to his sister's, they have an argument and he goes to sleep in his car. The next day he sells his new car (a DeTomaso Panthera) for only 8000 marks. Later in the gay bar, Fox sees the American soldiers and they ask him how much he pays; he starts sobbing.
Finally, he is lying on the floor in the underground; he has killed himself with the pills. Two young boys steal his money and golden watch from him. Max and Klaus see him; they leave when they see he is dead, as they do not want to be involved in his death.
Cast
- Rainer Werner FassbinderRainer Werner FassbinderRainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
- Fox - Peter Chatel - Eugene
- Karlheinz BöhmKarlheinz BöhmKarlheinz Böhm is an Austrian actor. The son of conductor Karl Böhm, he is best known internationally for his role as Mark, the psychopathic protagonist of Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell...
- Max - Harry Baer – Philip
- Adrian Hovenvas - Wolf Thiess, Eugen's father
- Ulla Jacobsson - Eugen's mother
- Christiane Maybach - Hedwig
- Karl Scheydt - Klaus