Armin Meier in Satan’s Brew
Fassbinder films can be enjoyed on their own merit - or not, as the case may be. They can also after a while be viewed through the lens of the Fassbinder world, and if you have seen enough of them, this is inevitable, although it’s not the sort of thing that happens with a director like Ridley Scott. The difference is that Ridley Scott doesn’t populate his films with friends and lovers, and tell the stories of his and their lives; but this is how Fassbinder works, and it is all to the good.