Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.If Fassbinder had ever made a sex comedy, it might have looked a bit like this West German cult classic from 1980.
"Taxi to the John" concerns Frank, who's not your average schoolteacher: he marks homework while sitting in a public lav, regularly picks up men, and enjoys a fair bit of cocaine and kinky sex. His live-in relationship with Bernd begins to founder once the latter makes clear his preference for monogamy and a move to the country: Frank, free-spirited and promiscuous, isn't going to leave Berlin any time soon. The sexual candour is pretty startling, this being a pre-AIDS gay scene, though the only close-up we might have been spared is Frank's trip to the clinic for a delicate examination ("Nurse, give me the proctoscope"). What impresses is the portrayal of Frank's ability to be many things at once – a well-liked teacher, a selfish lover, an energetic partygoer and, in the end, a perverse sort of revolutionary. You can understand how it became cult.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments