Rating:
by Derek Smith 6/27/04
Fassbinder's
Dogme-style look at
bourgeois complacency and the extreme limits people can be driven to by
quietly
conforming to society's pressures certainly tests the viewer's
patience, but is
nonetheless a fascinating and original look at topic that is often
brushed over
via satire or dark comedy rather than dealt with head on. Much of
the
conversation in the film was improvised and is (purposefully) as boring
as
being a fly on the wall in the home of a very dull couple. It
includes a
series of social interactions between Herr R. and his wife, parents,
neighbors,
and co-workers with no distinct narrative shifts or moments of internal
rage. The dialogue runs together and Herr R.'s inability to
connect with
anyone creates a rift between himself and the world he was once a part
of. Like Van Sant's Elephant, Fassbinder's camera is
unobtrusive,
capturing the moments as they happen with no attempt to explain the
inexplicable. The mundane becomes fascinating because it is real
and free
from cinematic conventions that dictate the precise peaks and valleys
within
the arc of the story. Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? mimics
the drone
of mindless noise and superficiality that pervades the lives of so many
people
and gives evidence that the bizarre and unexpected often stem from the
excruciating
pain and boredom of every day life.
It may not sound
like much but as
the meaningless conversations and unbearable situations at Herr R.'s
home and
work pile up, his silent martyrdom becomes more and more
apparent.
Fassbinder's intense focus on reaction shots stress his disinterest
with what
is being said and he instead chooses to capture the subtle shifts in
mindset as
these seemingly insignificant but painful moments relentlessly wear on
Herr R.
until his inevitable final cathartic release. Like all Fassbinder
films,
love is a large part of the equation and here he is adept at portraying
a
marriage that is convincingly "healthy" while the complete absence of
love is blatantly clear. The film becomes a symptom of the
disease
it fights, making light social interactions feel dull but necessary to
maintain
a certain level of communal respect. The language becomes white
noise
piercing Herr R.'s ears, preventing him from having a moment of peace
and
squashing his every honest and heartfelt expression and attempt to
relate to
those closest to him. Its condemnation of the acceptance of life
as
determined by societal convention is so strongly felt that the
extremity of the
finale is, in a frightening way, as encouraging as it is
disturbing. It's
not that we welcome Herr R.'s action as much as his long-awaited attack
against
his oppressive environment finally puts an end to the insufferable
monotony
that surrounds him. It is sudden, shocking, and utterly brilliant.
Cinematic
Reflections