When Franz Biberkopf is released from prison, he vows to lead an honest life. He works as a street vendor in Berlin's Alexanderplatz. Then he meets the gang leader Reinhold and is drawn into a life of crime. After a botched burglary, Franz loses an arm, but not his will to fight for an honest life. He falls in love with the prostitute Mieze. But soon the phantoms of his past reappear. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's television adaptation of Alfred Döblin's monumental novel "Berlin Alexanderplatz" tells the story of the Berlin ex-convict Franz Biberkopf in 14 parts. Fassbinder accompanies Biberkopf on his journey from prison to his gradual downfall in the metropolis of Berlin, conveying his vision of humanity and love in over 15 hours. After initially scathing press reviews, Fassbinder's monumental television project finally achieved the international acclaim it deserved and is now among his best-known works.