I heard this was Fassbinder's thing, using storylines from old Hollywood movies. In Chinese Roulette, a husband and wife lie to each other about where they're going for the weekend and both show up at their summer house---their summer mansion---with their lovers. Seems like I've seen this before in movies and on TV but I can't think of where.
I've always wondered what household servants are supposed to do under these circumstances. Do you butt out and let people do what they want, or should you mention it to the one signing your paycheck? In this case, the housekeeper is a horrible person who laughs at the couple's disabled daughter.
The tweenage daughter shows up with at with a mute servant and a selection of dolls. It wasn't clear to me how, but she was somehow responsible for this awkward situation.
They play a game called "Chinese Roulette". I don't know if it's a real thing or something they made up for the movie, but there are two teams, and they ask questions like, "If this person were a tree, what kind of tree would it be", and you're supposed to guess who the person is--one of the people present--based on that. I didn't really understand what they were doing until the end.
I would have been in over my head with these people. I'd have had no idea what was going on or what they were talking about. Yet, I would have felt vastly superior to each of them.
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