Ricco 2002

Ricco is the last film of Swiss-American director Mike Wildbolz, who died shortly before its release at age 55. Strangely enough, the subject of Wildbolz's documentary also died relatively young, the painter Erich "Ricco" Wassmer (1915-1972). Perhaps because it was prophetic, or because Wildbolz sensed his fate and truly identified with Ricco, the life of the artist is related with a captivating poignancy, from his privileged but troubled childhood in Germany, to his artistic triumphs in Bern, to his career-wrecking imprisonment on the charge of immorality, ending with his life-draining illness in France. Wildbolz portrays Ricco as a victim throughout, a man misunderstood by bourgeois society and despised for his pursuit of exotic experiences (which, by the way, included an obsession with naked boys).