Fox and His Friends
“Survival of the fittest.”
Fox, a former circus performer, wins the lottery of DM 500,000 and can now have the life and things that he has always wanted. He enters an abusive relationship with wealthy industrialist Eugen in an attempt to climb the social ladder. His desperation for love and affection soon spirals into tragedy.
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Cast
28 people
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Franz "Fox" Bieberkopf
Known for
Katzelmacher
Love Is Colder Than Death
Peter Chatel
Eugen Thiess
Known for
World on a Wire
Martha
Karlheinz Böhm
Max
Known for
Peeping Tom
Sissi
Adrian Hoven
Wolf Thiess, Eugen's Father
Known for
World on a Wire
The Story of Vickie
Christiane Maybach
Hedwig
Known for
World on a Wire
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
Harry Baer
Philip
Known for
The Third Generation
Wetlands
Hans Zander
Barman Springer
Also in
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Einmal im Leben - Geschichte eines Eigenheims
Kurt Raab
Wodka-Peter
Known for
World on a Wire
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
Rudolf Lenz
Attorney Dr. Siebenkäss
Known for
World on a Wire
Martha
Karl Scheydt
Klaus
Known for
World on a Wire
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Peter Kern
Florist "Fatty" Schmidt
Known for
World on a Wire
Wrong Move
Karl-Heinz Staudenmeyer
Krapp
Rainer Werner Fassbinder Director · Christian Hohoff Writer Peer Raben Composer
United States release February 2, 1976 · Produced in Germany · Languages English, French, German
Production
Tango Film
Production
City Film
Production
Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Faustrecht der Freiheit
Original language
German
Spoken on screen
English · French · German
Release dates
France · May 15, 1975
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
Germany · June 6, 1975
Theatrical
United States · February 2, 1976
Theatrical
United States · January 17, 2017
Physical · Criterion Collection Blu-Ray
United States
September 26, 1975 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
November 1, 1975 · Premiere · Chicago International Film Festival
March 1, 1983 · Premiere · Reeling Chicago Gay Lesbian Film Festival
Australia
June 14, 2003 · Premiere · Sydney Film Festival
Czechia
November 12, 2003 · Premiere · Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Denmark
December 26, 1975 · Theatrical
Finland
May 22, 2002 · TV
France
September 17, 1975 · Theatrical
November 25, 2004 · Premiere · Paris Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
May 2, 2018 · Theatrical · Re-Release
June 11, 2025 · Theatrical · Re-Release
Hungary
December 20, 1990 · Theatrical
Italy
April 23, 1981 · Theatrical
Japan
January 22, 1977 · Theatrical
Portugal
November 8, 1980 · Premiere · Santarém International Film Festival
November 12, 1981 · Theatrical
Spain
April 1, 1978 · Theatrical
Sweden
May 3, 1976 · TV
United Kingdom
September 1, 1995 · Theatrical · Re-Release
February 20, 2023 · Physical · Arrow Video - The Rainer Werner Fassbinder Collection: Volume 2 Blu-Ray
Uruguay
March 19, 2005 · Premiere · Festival Internacional de Cine del Uruguay
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Some details come from TheTVDB.