My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)
In the near future, a computer programmer for a giant corporation develops a simulation of human society. Some people want to use it for financial gain, others for power. When his friends start to literally disappear into thin air, he begins to look deeper. It turns out that "this" world is actually the simulated one and the "real" world is somewhere else. He becomes a hunted man by those in control, falsely accused of murder. He searches for a contact with the real world, a person with knowledge of both, who will hopefully save him. This is an overly-familiar science fiction plot, although Fassbinder may have been the first to examine it in such detail, as this runs over 3 hours. It explores some interesting concepts, including a discussion of Platonic philosophy, and a final scene which raises all kinds of religious questions. However, it tends to be talky and over plotted, with the usual array of Fassbinder-ian supporting characters: women (and men) in heavy make-up who could easily pass as female impersonators, absurdly muscular men with no shirts, cabaret singers, etc, which become tiresome and seem misplaced in the futuristic setting.
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