FILM DIRECTOR
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
1945 - 1982
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (German: [ˈʁaɪnɐ ˈvɛʁnɐ ˈfasbɪndɐ] ; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker, dramatist and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Versatile and prolific, his over 40 films span a variety of genres, most frequently blending elements of Hollywood melodrama with social criticism and avant-garde techniques. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Rainer Werner Fassbinder has received more than 2,298,294 page views. His biography is available in 59 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 55 in 2019). Rainer Werner Fassbinder is the 45th most popular film director (down from 44th in 2019), the 283rd most popular biography from Germany (up from 314th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular German Film Director.
Rainer Werner Fassbinder is most famous for his work in the German New Wave film movement. He produced and directed over 40 films in his lifetime.
Memorability Metrics
2.3M
Page Views (PV)
74.13
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
59
Languages Editions (L)
8.43
Effective Languages (L*)
3.27
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, Rainer Werner Fassbinder ranks 45 out of 2,041. Before him are Krzysztof Kieślowski, James Cameron, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Billy Wilder, and Vittorio De Sica. After him are Yasujirō Ozu, Roberto Rossellini, Isao Takahata, Emir Kusturica, Alan Parker, and Takeshi Kitano.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsKrzysztof Kieślowski
1941 - 1996
HPI: 74.89
Rank: 39
James Cameron
1954 - Present
HPI: 74.87
Rank: 40
David Lynch
1946 - 2025
HPI: 74.84
Rank: 41
Lars von Trier
1956 - Present
HPI: 74.53
Rank: 42
Billy Wilder
1906 - 2002
HPI: 74.44
Rank: 43
Vittorio De Sica
1901 - 1974
HPI: 74.36
Rank: 44
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 45
Yasujirō Ozu
1903 - 1963
HPI: 73.96
Rank: 46
Roberto Rossellini
1906 - 1977
HPI: 73.94
Rank: 47
Isao Takahata
1935 - 2018
HPI: 73.89
Rank: 48
Emir Kusturica
1954 - Present
HPI: 73.68
Rank: 49
Alan Parker
1944 - 2020
HPI: 73.52
Rank: 50
Takeshi Kitano
1947 - Present
HPI: 73.40
Rank: 51
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1945, Rainer Werner Fassbinder ranks 22. Before him are Jupp Heynckes, Priscilla Presley, Ehud Olmert, Pete Townshend, Eddy Merckx, and Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. After him are Mircea Lucescu, Yoshinori Ohsumi, Björn Ulvaeus, Moshe Katsav, Patrick Modiano, and Ritchie Blackmore. Among people deceased in 1982, Rainer Werner Fassbinder ranks 12. Before him are Ingrid Bergman, Henry Fonda, Carl Orff, Roman Jakobson, Arthur Rubinstein, and Philip K. Dick. After him are Hans-Ulrich Rudel, Anna Freud, Vasily Chuikov, Erving Goffman, Khalid of Saudi Arabia, and Louis Aragon.
Others Born in 1945
Go to all RankingsJupp Heynckes
COACH
1945 - Present
HPI: 75.47
Rank: 16
Priscilla Presley
COMPANION
1945 - Present
HPI: 75.34
Rank: 17
Ehud Olmert
POLITICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 75.15
Rank: 18
Pete Townshend
MUSICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 75.01
Rank: 19
Eddy Merckx
CYCLIST
1945 - Present
HPI: 74.72
Rank: 20
Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi
POLITICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 74.18
Rank: 21
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
FILM DIRECTOR
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 22
Mircea Lucescu
SOCCER PLAYER
1945 - Present
HPI: 73.92
Rank: 23
Yoshinori Ohsumi
BIOLOGIST
1945 - Present
HPI: 73.23
Rank: 24
Björn Ulvaeus
MUSICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 73.10
Rank: 25
Moshe Katsav
POLITICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 73.02
Rank: 26
Patrick Modiano
WRITER
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.82
Rank: 27
Ritchie Blackmore
MUSICIAN
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.82
Rank: 28
Others Deceased in 1982
Go to all RankingsIngrid Bergman
ACTOR
1915 - 1982
HPI: 78.16
Rank: 6
Henry Fonda
ACTOR
1905 - 1982
HPI: 77.65
Rank: 7
Carl Orff
COMPOSER
1895 - 1982
HPI: 77.62
Rank: 8
Roman Jakobson
LINGUIST
1896 - 1982
HPI: 76.40
Rank: 9
Arthur Rubinstein
MUSICIAN
1887 - 1982
HPI: 75.12
Rank: 10
Philip K. Dick
WRITER
1928 - 1982
HPI: 74.84
Rank: 11
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
FILM DIRECTOR
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 12
Hans-Ulrich Rudel
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1916 - 1982
HPI: 74.07
Rank: 13
Anna Freud
PSYCHOLOGIST
1895 - 1982
HPI: 74.07
Rank: 14
Vasily Chuikov
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1900 - 1982
HPI: 74.01
Rank: 15
Erving Goffman
SOCIOLOGIST
1922 - 1982
HPI: 73.98
Rank: 16
Khalid of Saudi Arabia
POLITICIAN
1912 - 1982
HPI: 72.59
Rank: 17
Louis Aragon
WRITER
1897 - 1982
HPI: 72.49
Rank: 18
In Germany
Among people born in Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder ranks 283 out of 7,253. Before him are Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers (1758), Max Horkheimer (1895), Friedrich Schlegel (1772), Anton Drexler (1884), Athanasius Kircher (1602), and Klaus Barbie (1913). After him are Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg (1868), Frederick V of the Palatinate (1596), Maria Sibylla Merian (1647), Irma Grese (1923), Carl Zeiss (1816), and Wilhelm Eduard Weber (1804).
Others born in Germany
Go to all RankingsHeinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers
ASTRONOMER
1758 - 1840
HPI: 74.20
Rank: 277
Max Horkheimer
PHILOSOPHER
1895 - 1973
HPI: 74.19
Rank: 278
Friedrich Schlegel
WRITER
1772 - 1829
HPI: 74.19
Rank: 279
Anton Drexler
POLITICIAN
1884 - 1942
HPI: 74.17
Rank: 280
Athanasius Kircher
PHILOSOPHER
1602 - 1680
HPI: 74.15
Rank: 281
Klaus Barbie
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1913 - 1991
HPI: 74.14
Rank: 282
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
FILM DIRECTOR
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 283
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
COMPANION
1868 - 1914
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 284
Frederick V of the Palatinate
POLITICIAN
1596 - 1632
HPI: 74.11
Rank: 285
Maria Sibylla Merian
BIOLOGIST
1647 - 1717
HPI: 74.09
Rank: 286
Irma Grese
POLITICIAN
1923 - 1945
HPI: 74.07
Rank: 287
Carl Zeiss
PHYSICIST
1816 - 1888
HPI: 74.00
Rank: 288
Wilhelm Eduard Weber
PHYSICIST
1804 - 1891
HPI: 73.93
Rank: 289
Among FILM DIRECTORS In Germany
Among film directors born in Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder ranks 3. Before him are Leni Riefenstahl (1902), and Wim Wenders (1945). After him are Michael Haneke (1942), Werner Herzog (1942), Ernst Lubitsch (1892), F. W. Murnau (1888), Wolfgang Petersen (1941), Volker Schlöndorff (1939), Roland Emmerich (1955), Max Ophüls (1902), and Margarethe von Trotta (1942).
Leni Riefenstahl
1902 - 2003
HPI: 78.06
Rank: 1
Wim Wenders
1945 - Present
HPI: 78.04
Rank: 2
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.13
Rank: 3
Michael Haneke
1942 - Present
HPI: 73.21
Rank: 4
Werner Herzog
1942 - Present
HPI: 72.51
Rank: 5
Ernst Lubitsch
1892 - 1947
HPI: 71.57
Rank: 6
F. W. Murnau
1888 - 1931
HPI: 70.93
Rank: 7
Wolfgang Petersen
1941 - 2022
HPI: 70.63
Rank: 8
Volker Schlöndorff
1939 - Present
HPI: 68.30
Rank: 9
Roland Emmerich
1955 - Present
HPI: 67.79
Rank: 10
Max Ophüls
1902 - 1957
HPI: 67.41
Rank: 11
Margarethe von Trotta
1942 - Present
HPI: 66.25
Rank: 12