The American Friend (1977)
(Der Amerikanische Freund)
Country: GER
Technical: col 127m
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray, Samuel Fuller
Synopsis:
A Hamburg picture framer is used by international art racketeers to do their dirty work because he thinks he is dying from a blood disease. Then he makes friends with the American who got him into trouble in the first place.
Review:
What this is about is anyone's guess ('Who I am, or who anyone is...' maybe: is Ganz a picture framer or a hitman? Is Hopper a forger's flunky or a friend in need?). But it is as compelling a piece of cinema as 1977 had to offer, showing a mastery of narrative and an awareness of the medium, not least through the numerous optical toys that litter the action. It also has a sense of humour (Hopper's wry comment, 'framed', as he collects his picture); there is much to pick up on subsequent viewings.
(Der Amerikanische Freund)
Country: GER
Technical: col 127m
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray, Samuel Fuller
Synopsis:
A Hamburg picture framer is used by international art racketeers to do their dirty work because he thinks he is dying from a blood disease. Then he makes friends with the American who got him into trouble in the first place.
Review:
What this is about is anyone's guess ('Who I am, or who anyone is...' maybe: is Ganz a picture framer or a hitman? Is Hopper a forger's flunky or a friend in need?). But it is as compelling a piece of cinema as 1977 had to offer, showing a mastery of narrative and an awareness of the medium, not least through the numerous optical toys that litter the action. It also has a sense of humour (Hopper's wry comment, 'framed', as he collects his picture); there is much to pick up on subsequent viewings.
(Der Amerikanische Freund)
Country: GER
Technical: col 127m
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray, Samuel Fuller
Synopsis:
A Hamburg picture framer is used by international art racketeers to do their dirty work because he thinks he is dying from a blood disease. Then he makes friends with the American who got him into trouble in the first place.
Review:
What this is about is anyone's guess ('Who I am, or who anyone is...' maybe: is Ganz a picture framer or a hitman? Is Hopper a forger's flunky or a friend in need?). But it is as compelling a piece of cinema as 1977 had to offer, showing a mastery of narrative and an awareness of the medium, not least through the numerous optical toys that litter the action. It also has a sense of humour (Hopper's wry comment, 'framed', as he collects his picture); there is much to pick up on subsequent viewings.