简介：WhenisaWesternnotreallyaWestern?Whenit’sdirectedbyFassbinder!WHITYisonlymysixthfilmfromtheso-calledGermanwunderkind:IadmireFassbinderforhisprolificandversatileoutput,thoughI’veyettobewonovercompletelybyafilmofhis;franklyIwashopingthiswouldprovetobetheone–but,asitturnedout,Icouldn’thavebeenmorewrong!Fortherecord,I’vegotfourmoretitlesfromhimtowatch:still,consideringmydismalexperiencewithWHITY(especiallysinceIhadfullyexpectedittobethemostaccessibleofthelot!),Idon’tknowwhenI’llmusterthecouragetogettothemnow…evenifDESPAIR(1978)isareasonablyenticingtitle,giventheparticipationofDirkBogardeandtheVladimirNabokovsource. Tobefair,theWesternambianceisdeliveredinspadesthroughout.ThefilmwasstunninglyshotinWidescreen–byMichaelBallhaus(lateravaluedcollaboratorofMartinScorsese)–inAlmeria,locationsiteofmanyaSpaghettiWestern.Itgenerallyhastherightfeelfortimeandplacewithregardstosettingsandwardrobe,whiletheall-importantscoreishighlightedbyadecidedlyinfectiousriff.Evenso,therepertoireofEnglish-languageballads(thebulkofthefilm,ofcourse,isinGerman)allottedtochanteuse/prostituteHannaSchygulla–nottomentionherownaffecteddelivery–isinappropriatelymodernandcomesacrossasunintentionallylaughable!SchygullawasafixtureinFassbinder’swork;thefilmalsofeaturesRonRandell(best-known,ifatall,forplayingChrist’sattorney[!]inNicholasRay’sKINGOFKINGS[1961])andUlliLommel(wholatergraduatedtodirectinghimself,notablyTENDERNESSOFTHEWOLVES[1973]andTHEBOOGEYMAN[1980]). Theoverridingpretentiousnessatworkhereispalpableaboveallinthefilm’slethargic,indeeddeadly,pace(neverhaveIseenamovieinwhichthecharactersmovedmores-l-o-w-l-y!).Besides,itisn’thelpedbyunsympathetic(evenannoying)characters–mostlymembersofadysfunctionalfamily(andparticularlythepasty-faced,frizzy-hairedsonsoflandownerRandell)–indulginginallmannersoftransgressions(fromsuchcommonly-depictedcapitalsinsasgreed,lustandmurderdowntonymphomania,masochism,interracialrelationshipsandincest!).Inthemidstofallthisisanunsavorygaysubtextwhich,inevitably,seemstobeontheagendaofvirtuallyalldirectorssoinclinedinreal-life(butbecomingobviouslymorepronouncedintheliberalizedmoderncinema)! Theplot,forwhatit’sworth,isreminiscentofPierPaoloPasolini’sTHEOREM(1968)–coincidentallyanothergayparable–asthelifeofeveryoneinvolvedisinfluencedinsomewaybythehousehold’sblackmanservant(thecharacterbearstheironictitularnicknamebutisalsocuriouslyunderwrittenandinexpressive),who’sactuallythefruitofRandell’sillicitaffairwithhisfrumpycoloredmaid!Thefactthateach,inturn,pleadswithhimtoslaytheothercouldhaveturnedthisintoapointedblackcomedy–butthefilmissimplytoolaboredanddeliberatelyself-consciousforthesubtletyintrinsictosuchrefinedtreatment... Intheend,oneshouldnotethat1971sawaboomofartyWesternswithothersuchofferingsasAlexandroJodorowsky’sELTOPO,PeterFonda’sTHEHIREDHANDandRobertAltman’sMcCABEANDMRSMILLER.AsforWHITY(whoseshooting,bytheway,inspiredFassbinder’sownBEWAREOFAHOLYWHORE[1971]),IhadownedtheFantomaDVD–whichincludesanAudioCommentaryfromBallhausandLommel–forquiteawhilebeforeactuallysittingdowntoviewit.I’dpurchasedthediscthroughthecompany’sownwebsiteduringasalebut,asIsaid,couldonlymanagetofindaslotforitinmyhectic/eclecticscheduleafterhavingenjoyedacoupleofequallystylized(butfarmoresatisfying)SpaghettiWesterns–DEATHSENTENCE(1968)andYANKEE(1966)–earlierthisweek.…