The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty

Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter

When goalkeeper Josef Bloch (Arthur Brauss) is sent off for dissent over the validity of a score against him, he leaves the stadium to wander around the city. In amongst Josef’s time-passing activities is a trip to the cinema, after which he seduces the usherette into a one-night stand. The following morning, he casually murders her. Making little attempt to hide his crime, Josef returns to his everyday life, as if inviting punishment despite feeling no guilt or remorse. Echoing the fascination with American iconography of Godard’s Breathless(1960), Wenders’s cool gaze makes for a discomfiting portrayal of sociopathic ennui.