About

Loosely based on the life of a 15th Century heretic, The Niklashausen Journey is a highly politicised and hypertheatrical retelling of the legend of Hans Böhm, a shepherd who claimed that the Virgin Mary called upon him to foment a revolt against the decadent church and the upper class. Despite a short-lived success, Böhm's disciples were eventually massacred and he was burned at the stake for heresy. A biting critique of both radicals and the society that perpetuates them, Fassbinder presents Böhm's medieval death as an allegory for the political turmoil of contemporary Germany. This is underlined by his use of anachronistic juxtaposition: Fassbinder makes an appearance as the leather-clad Black Monk; a sermon ends with "Long live Lenin, smash Fascism!"; a crucifixion takes place in a car junkyard. "It is absolutely necessary to tell a story that has something to do with us," Fassbinder said. "Isn't that much more important than the actual story of Hans Böhm? The film shows how and why a revolution fails."

Ages 18+