The Merchant of Four Seasons

Name: The Merchant of Four Seasons
Genre: Drama
Released: 1972-03-10
Duration: 1 h 28 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, Andrea Schober, Karl Scheydt

1972·Movie·88 min·★ 6.7(83)

Drama

Hans is a street fruit peddler and born loser. His choice of career upsets his bourgeois family, causing him to turn to drinking and violence. After recovering from a debilitating heart attack, his business finally begins to take off. However, the more he becomes a credit to his family, the more depressed he becomes.

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Where to watch The Merchant of Four Seasons in United States

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Click a service to open The Merchant of Four Seasons there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The Merchant of Four Seasons streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Criterion Channel	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	ARROW	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	Criterion Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Germany	Amazon Arthaus Channel, Arthaus+ Apple TV channel, Arthaus+	Apple TV Store, LaCinetek
France	Sooner, Molotov TV, SFR Play	LaCinetek
Spain	Filmin	—
Brazil	Belas Artes à La Carte	—

About The Merchant of Four Seasons

The Merchant of Four Seasons is a 1972 German-language drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The cast is led by Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla. It has a runtime of 1h 28m. Viewers rate it 6.7/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

The Merchant of Four Seasons was produced by Tango Film and made in Germany. It was released on March 10, 1972.

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Writers: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Release date: March 10, 1972
Original language: German
Status: Released
Country: Germany
Production: Tango Film

#munich, germany#foreign legionaire#ex-cop#resignation#alcohol abuse#street vendor#1950s#health issues

The Merchant of Four Seasons cast & crew

The Merchant of Four Seasons was directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

The cast features Hans Hirschmüller as Hans Epp, Irm Hermann as Irmgard Epp, Hanna Schygulla as Anna Epp, Hans's sister, Andrea Schober as Renate Epp, Hans's daughter, Karl Scheydt as Anzell, and Klaus Löwitsch as Harry.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, cinematography is by Dietrich Lohmann, and it was produced by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Is The Merchant of Four Seasons worth watching?

The Merchant of Four Seasons holds an audience score of 6.7/10 from 83 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 1h 28m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy drama, The Merchant of Four Seasons is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Merchant of Four Seasons

In United States, you can stream The Merchant of Four Seasons on Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.