Enfant Terrible

“I like to provoke”, says the subject of Enfant Terrible, “Otherwise, nothing happens”. This certainly seems to be the mission statement of filmmaker Oskar Roehler as he chronicles the twisted and chaotic behind the camera life of new wave filmmaker, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Though I have seen my share of International Cinema during visits to art house theaters throughout my life as a film lover, Fassbinder is a name I’ve only hear mentioned by much more informed film critics than myself on podcasts discussing film history. His films were spoken of as meticulous and beautiful, which is about as far away as one could imagine from the representation of the man we see in Enfant Terrible. The title is apropos as the portrayal of Fassbinder by Oliver Masucci is not unlike a giant, grumpy toddler who still has not developed a sufficient ability to communicate its wants and desires, nor are they absolutely sure what will satiate the dissatisfaction of the moment. Instead opting for screaming and violently taking what