Beware of a Holy Whore

The film opens with a soliloquy delivered by Werner Schroeter that outlines the film's twisted premise by referencing a Disney tale about Goofy. The speaker hints at violence, self-blindness, and homoerotic undertones as a recurring motif. This prologue sets up the mood and foregrounds the meta-textual approach of the story.

Goofy dresses in his aunt's clothes to teach a kindergarten class. He is ridiculed by the children, which foreshadows the perils of his vulnerability in the story. The scene frames the character's exposure to judgment and sets up the later plot twist.

After the ridicule, Goofy brings in a 'poor orphan girl' into his home. The girl is in fact Wee Willy, a dwarf gangster disguising himself in the clothes Goofy discarded. He manipulates Goofy into caring for him, exploiting Goofy's trust.

That night, Goofy's house is raided by police and Wee Willy is arrested. The raid reveals the 'orphan girl' actually to be a criminal in disguise, shocking Goofy. The scene underscores themes of deception and vulnerability.

Upon the revelation of Wee Willy's true identity, Goofy utters a stunned line about the shock the 'poor little girl' experienced turning into a crook. The moment highlights the film's self-blindness and irony. The emotional aftermath foreshadows the violence he endures.

Throughout both episodes, Goofy is beaten by those for whom he acts kindly—the kindergarten children and Wee Willy's associates. The violence underscores the motif that care can attract hostility from the very people one hopes to help. The sequence foreshadows the film's broader exploration of vulnerability.

The action moves to a coastal hotel in Spain where the cast of the meta-film 'Patria O Muerte' wait for production money and for the arrival of the director Lou Castel and star Eddie Constantine. The setting introduces a claustrophobic, backstage atmosphere where tensions simmer.

While waiting, the cast indulges in sexual intrigues spanning same-sex and opposite-sex dynamics as well as slander and power struggles. The interactions reveal competing ambitions and erosions of trust within the group. The scene sets the stage for how personal desires intersect with professional power.

Lou Castel arrives by helicopter, inserting himself into the already volatile dynamics. He enforces a draconian regime, pressing his authority over the cast and crew. The arrival marks a turning point that intensifies conflict.

The director's autocratic presence ignites clashes, intensifying the mercurial mood on set. Relationships fray as demands and power plays escalate. The dynamic mirrors the film's meta-theme of a group failing to function together.

With the director's grip tightening, the production devolves into mayhem and constant change. The crew struggles with conflicting aims and shifting loyalties as the shoot limps forward. The film uses these scenes to critique collaboration under pressure.

Fassbinder described the production as a film about why living and working together as a group doesn’t function, even with people who want it to and for whom the group is life itself. The comment frames the entire behind-the-scenes chaos as a meditation on collaboration and failure.