Tenderness of the Wolves

Based on the same true story that inspired Fritz Lang's classic M, filmmaker Ulli Lommel's 1973 directorial debut Tenderness of the Wolves is a period thriller starring Kurt Raab as murderer, black marketer, and police informant Fritz Haarmann, a pedophile who picks up young runaway boys at train stations. Living well in the depression of post-World War I Germany, Haarmann lures victims to his attic apartment with the promise of a warm meal and a bed, only to emerge alone the next morning with secondhand clothes and black market “pork.” Raab, a member of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's regular troupe of actors, suggests M's Peter Lorre by way of the vampire Nosferatu—with his shaved head, child-like smile, and hunched walk—an insidiously beguiling boy-man who turns feral when he strangles and then feasts on the blood of innocent young lads. Lommel directs with the elegant camerawork, evocative sets, and tableaux-style direction associated with Fassbinder (who served as producer and appears here in a small role). Although lacking the rich irony of Fassbinder's works, Tenderness of the Wolves is an often startling film—dominated by an unsettling performance by Raab (who also co-wrote the script)—that is visually striking, but also (unfortunately) narratively confusing. Presented in a newly restored edition, extras include an introduction and audio commentary by Lommel, behind-the-scenes featurettes, interviews, a stills gallery, and a booklet. Given the film's extremely dark subject matter and explicit sexual content, this is recommended only for more adventurous collections. (S. Axmaker)