Gods of the Plague (1970)

Emerging from the iron clutches of prison, Franz Walsch, a petty crook, finds himself in a world less appealing than the confines he's just left. In the gritty, cold landscape of society's underbelly, he embarks on a quest to stitch together fragments of his past. As he navigates this unfamiliar terrain, he's drawn like a magnet to his old flame Johanna and the warmth of his family, particularly his brother Marian. Franz, a man of stoic silence and unyielding emotion, becomes an enigmatic figure of desire to the women around him. As Johanna's emerald eyes cloud with jealousy, Franz succumbs to the allure of a new siren, Margarethe, and rekindles a bond with an old accomplice, Günther, ominously known as the Gorilla. However, this reunion of misfits is tainted by the chilling murder of Marian, sending ripples through the murky waters of their underworld. A relentless detective, his eyes set on Franz and the Gorilla, begins to tighten his net around them. Cornered and desperate, Johanna finds herself caught in this dangerous game, her loyalty tested under the detective's pressure. In this intricate web of deceit, desire and danger, Franz must grapple with the ghosts of his past and the harsh realities of his present. Will he find solace in his old world, or will the gods of the plague drag him back into the shadows?

Gods of the Plague is a drama movie featuring Harry Baer.

Gods of the Plague is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.