Pioners in Ingolstadt (1971)

As usual with RW Fassbinder: don't expect a sweet tale about romance even though the story revolves around precisely 'romance'. If a Fassbinder character is looking for love - well you know there will be hell and more hell (and self-deception abounds). Pioners in Ingolstadt gives as bleak a picture of love (and human relations) as any of his other films. The characters speak in intentionally heavy-handed clichés and one reviewer describes the acting as bordering on 'somnambulistic'. I doubt this was considered a mishap by Fassbinder. On top of this, the film has a very stage-y feel. They are puppets - but this is only to show in what way we make puppets of ourselves. This film might not be a masterpiece, but it has some witty scenes. Army recruits are sent to a small town to build a bridge. They build a bridge and look for girls, while girls look for them. There is rivalry and scheming everywhere. One woman is disappointed in the men who do not love her romantically. Another woman takes a more calculating approach to her adventures with the soldiers. The men find the women too needy; they know what they want them for. This could have been a better film, had Fassbinder shown more consideration for the details. Still - there are some drastic scenes that stand out, especially towards the end. Now the whole thing gets a bit half-done, sketchy. -- Do not miss the bear glasses. I want one!