Directed by:
Wim WendersScreenplay:
Wim WendersCinematography:
Robby MüllerComposer:
Jürgen KnieperCast:
Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray, Samuel Fuller, Jean Eustache, Lou Castel, Peter Lilienthal, Wim Wenders, Enzo Robutti (more)Plots(1)
Bruno Ganz plays Jonathan Zimmermann, a picture framer with a terminal medical condition. Through a series of encounters and machinations, he accepts money to kill a criminal in order to support his family after his death. He is aided by Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), an art forger. Unbeknown to Jonathan, Ripley is behind all the plans. However, the criminal and borderline sociopath's feelings towards Jonathan eventually change and he feels a responsibility to take care of his new friend. (Curzon Film World)
(more)Reviews (3)
This is an existentialist thriller about the manipulation of a person in a difficult situation and the strangely complex friendship of two lost souls. The average audience expecting a straightforward thriller will be bored, but those who already know what to expect from Wim Wenders will be delighted with this engaging somber tale, amplified by Robby Müller's hypnotic camera work and the distinctive music of Jürgen Knieper. The whole thing is underscored by the captivating acting performances of both of the stars, Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper, whose scenes together look completely natural and whose fates you want to discover more about. I applaud both gentlemen.
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This is a movie that, for me, is right on the line between being great and being just plain good. Wim Wenders has confident and good direction, but that doesn't change the fact that I was bored at times. However, fundamentally, I have no complaints about the acting. The actors succeed in building an atmosphere in harmony with the setting and the director's intentions.
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Wim Wenders is a serious intellectual, and some of his films are so slow and introspective that they are indigestible for the average viewer. The American Friend is a step into a territory where completely different creators operate, and his film could be described as a psychological thriller. Several scenes balance on the edge of the action genre, but Wenders is evidently interested in something else - the psychology of his characters, their relationships, and their motivations. It's not a perfect film, as the screenplay contains some improbable motives, and the deception in Paris is transparent. Wenders leaves a lot to his audience and doesn't reveal much about his characters, which is only to the benefit of the matter because the viewer's imagination can work at full speed, giving the film a mysterious dimension. Dennis Hopper plays one of his typical villains, but his character is far from one-dimensional and is among the most interesting characters he has created in his career. Overall impression: 80%.
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