{"id":39866,"date":"2017-12-27T14:16:35","date_gmt":"2017-12-27T21:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39866"},"modified":"2020-12-02T17:32:47","modified_gmt":"2020-12-03T00:32:47","slug":"ali-fear-eats-the-soul-fear-eats-the-soul-1974","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39866","title":{"rendered":"Ali: Fear Eats the Soul\/Fear Eats the Soul (1974)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;With people like that in the house, dirt takes over.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Poster-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-39867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Poster-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Poster.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA widowed German housecleaner (Brigitte Mira) falls in love with a much-younger Moroccan mechanic (El Hedi ben Salem), but the couple&#8217;s May-December, cross-cultural romance must withstand constant scrutiny and prejudice from their neighbors, friends, and family.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cross-Cultural Romance<\/li>\n<li>Fassbinder Films<\/li>\n<li>German Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>May-December Romance<\/li>\n<li>Racism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that &#8220;for those who consider the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder too esoteric and perverse, here is one that has universal appeal&#8221;; in fact, &#8220;it was Fassbinder&#8217;s breakthrough film internationally, the reason many people worldwide were willing to examine his more difficult, less accessible films.&#8221; He writes that &#8220;the couple is strong enough to endure&#8221; the &#8220;constant racial prejudice [Salem] and other Arabs in Germany are subjected to, but in time Mira&#8217;s own prejudices surface and threaten to shatter the marriage&#8221;. He concludes his review by  noting that this remains &#8220;a simple, extremely poignant film, all the more fascinating because Fassbinder deals with racial prejudice in modern <em>Germany<\/em> &#8212; against Arabs, not Jews.&#8221; Indeed, Mira and Salem&#8217;s unique cross-cultural romance remains as touching and relevant as ever &#8212; perhaps even more so in the early 21st century, as Europe&#8217;s demographics continue to shift contentiously.   <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1597\" height=\"923\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56034\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple.png 1597w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-1024x592.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-768x444.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-1536x888.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Couple-467x270.png 467w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1597px) 100vw, 1597px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mira is perfectly cast in the central female role, and fans will definitely want to check out the 2003 interview with her on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/films\/152-ali-fear-eats-the-soul\">Criterion&#8217;s digital restoration DVD<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/El_Hedi_ben_Salem\">Salem&#8217;s personal story<\/a> (he was Fassbinder&#8217;s lover in real life) mirrors his onscreen tragedy, albeit on an even more catastrophic scale; I&#8217;d love to find a copy of the 2012 documentary about him entitled <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt2123212\/\"><em>My Name is Not Ali<\/em><\/a>, but haven&#8217;t had any luck so far. Suffice it to say that this films reminds us how being an &#8220;outsider&#8221; &#8212; whether older, darker-skinner, less-attractive, foreign, lower-class, gay &#8212; remains an ongoing challenge for many (if not most) humans across the globe. <em>Ali: Fear Eats the Soul<\/em> is simultaneously a balm for one&#8217;s heart (&#8220;When we&#8217;re together, we must be nice to each other &#8212; otherwise, life&#8217;s not worth living.&#8221;) and a cautionary tale that our souls are hardly free from the xenophobic fear &#8220;Ali&#8221; warns us of. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Peary writes that &#8220;Fassbinder admired the work of Douglas Sirk, and critics were quick to point out the film&#8217;s similarity to Sirk&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20690\"><em>All That Heaven Allows<\/em><\/a>,&#8221; as well as themes from Sirk&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=33432\"><em>Imitation of Life<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brigitte Mira as Emmi<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-1024x596.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"373\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-56030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-1024x596.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-768x447.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-1536x893.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira-464x270.png 464w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Mira.png 1573w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many memorable, poignant scenes<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-1024x596.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"373\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-56033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-1024x596.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-768x447.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-1536x893.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2-464x270.png 464w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner2.png 1587w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Rich cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1579\" height=\"925\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner.png 1579w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-1024x600.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-128x75.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-768x450.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-1536x900.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Ali-Fear-Dinner-461x270.png 461w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1579px) 100vw, 1579px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a foreign classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#foreign\">Foreign Gem<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0071141\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1974\/10\/07\/archives\/at-the-film-festivalalifassbinder-explore-racial-prejudice-the-cast.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-ali-fear-eats-the-soul-1974\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Greatest Films Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/74693\/ali-fear-eats-the-soul#articles-reviews?articleId=1303371\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/brightlightsfilm.com\/all-that-heaven-disallows-ali-fear-eats-the-soul-on-dvd\/#.Wj8x3WinGM8\">Bright Lights Film Essay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=7309&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"thttp:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/3139\n\">Q Network Films <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;With people like that in the house, dirt takes over.&#8221; Synopsis: A widowed German housecleaner (Brigitte Mira) falls in love with a much-younger Moroccan mechanic (El Hedi ben Salem), but the couple&#8217;s May-December, cross-cultural romance must withstand constant scrutiny and prejudice from their neighbors, friends, and family. Genres: Cross-Cultural Romance Fassbinder Films German Films Marital Problems May-December Romance Racism Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary writes that &#8220;for those who consider the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder too esoteric and perverse,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=39866\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39866"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56036,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39866\/revisions\/56036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}