The Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection: Commemorative Edition Volume One (1969-1972)

Despite a short-lived career, which lasted less than 15 years and culminated in his suicide by a cocktail of cocaine and sleeping pills, auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder left an indelible mark on German cinema.

His 35 films (along with television and stage work) present a deliberately provocative world view, presented largely through social melodrama touching on the big issues of the day in Germany, including immigration and racism. He also frequently drew on his own troubled personal life, including his difficult relationship with his family and friends and his bisexuality.

This nine-disc box set represents a comprehensive look at the earliest of his films. Featured are:

Love Is Colder Than Death (1969) - reviewed by Moominkat
A petty criminal and his girlfriend get mixed up with a gangster.

Katzelmacher (1969) - reviewed by Jeff Robson
The aimless lives of a group of young Germans are disrupted by the arrival of a Greek immigrant.

The American Soldier (1970) - reviewed by Keith Hennessey Brown
Hard-boiled noir about a Vietnam vet who finds himself in a romantic entaglement after being contracted by cops to kill some gangsters.

The Niklashausen Journey (1970) - Reviewed by Marnie A shepherd claims the Virgin Mary has ordered him to start a revolution against the Church and upper classes.

Beware Of A Holy Whore (1971) - reviewed by Keith Hennessey Brown
Film within a film about the cast of a movie who try to make the best of a bad job when they find themselves short of funding.

The Merchant Of Four Seasons (1972) - reviewed by Marnie
Tragic tale of a put-upon fruit seller in post-war Germany.

The Bitter Tears Of Petra Von Kant (1972) - reviewed by Moominkat
Snapshot of the life of a self-centred fashion designer.

Also included are: Gods Of The Plague (1970), Rio Das Mortes (1971)