"Fabian: Going to the Dogs" is much more than it's ImDB classification as love story/romance. Nevertheless, on the surface, it could definitly be classified as a love story.
(The love story)
The movie is set in Weimar-era Germany and addresses common mid 1920s cultural trends, such as the dissolution of social norms in a very unstable society. As a result, love is more about purpose than relationship. Here begins the unspectacular love story - yet, in my opinion, very well told.
("We look outside and saw enough")
Fabian is not good at making decisions or taking responsibility for his own preferences. For example, he is a good writer but he doesn't make any attempt to write a book or doing something similar. He is more like an observer of his own life. His friend is basically the opposite. He is active in political movements, writes a lot, and - as a result - he always gets into trouble.
("and nobody knows how far we'll go")
The movie portrays the unstable society very well. As an observer, Fabian is quite aimless and the whole society is caught in mounting tension. Although the main storyline sets in the Weimar Republic, the movie includes multiple scenes set during the Nazi regime or even today (not explicitly highlighted - the movie is worth watching twice!). These scenes contribute to the overall feeling of a sinking society. There are also numerous references to authors with specific political opinions, for example Lessing, who represents the enlightenment.
(about to learn swimming)
Besides love, the movie has a bunch of other central themes, for example water. Fabian cannot swim and although this is a problem for him, he doesn't do anything. At one point in the movie, there are even posters reading "Learn to swim!".
To sum up, definitely don't expect a love story, otherwise, it will be very boring! To understand everything it's definitely worth watching the movie twice and reading a bit about the Weimar Republic, the movie has a crazy amount of historical-insider-moments. It tells the story of a society in decline, especially the love storyline is comparable to cultural drives during Weimar (... Cornelia's story, for example, is comparable to the novel "The Artificial Silk Girl", which was also written during Weimar Republic), but it's only one part of the story/movie. This film has definitely managed to turn story and plot into a medium to show more.
