An exploration of the cult of the genius, an anti-heroic figure who chooses to be a social outcast and live on the fringe of bourgeois morality.
Acting
Fassbinder's feral charisma—he's repulsive yet magnetic.
Direction
Schlöndorff's Brechtian staging keeps you at arm's length, then slaps you.
Writing
Büchner's 1839 play, barely softened for 1970s audiences.
Director
Volker Schlöndorff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in 16 days for German TV, this was Fassbinder's first major role—he'd direct his own films within two years, stealing Schlöndorff's crew and collaborators.
Schlöndorff and Fassbinder were lovers during production; the director's camera both worships and punishes his star, mirroring how Baal treats his own admirers.
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