The American Friend (1977)

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I’ve seen more than one user on these forums mention this Wim Wenders movie as one of their favorites. It’s also one of my favorites, one of those movies that I can obsessively watch over and over, second only to Blade Runner. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it’s based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel Ripley’s Game, which was a sequel to The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Dennis Hopper plays Ripley in this version, and it’s a performance that will surprise anyone who only knows Hopper from his psychopathic roles from movies like Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, Speed, and Waterworld, as it’s much more subtle and restrained. But the real focus of the film is on the character played by Bruno Ganz, probably best known these days for playing Adolf Hitler in The Downfall and all of those YouTube parodies based on it.

The plot is this: Jonathan Zimmermann meets Tom Ripley, who sells artwork forgeries, at an art auction and insults him. Tom gets revenge by recommending Jonathan to an accomplice who’s looking for a gunman to take out some rivals. Jonathan initially refuses, but gives in when he realizes that he can put some money away for his wife and son to use after he dies of leukemia, and he carries out the hit. But the mob comes after both he and Ripley afterwards, and they begin to share a bond, albeit uneasy but more friends than enemies.

Highsmith couldn’t decide whether she loved or hated it, and critics have been on the fence as well. They generally feel that it’s a good film overall but a failure as an adaptation of the novel, and I disagree with the second part. Having read all five Ripley novels, and having seen Purple Noon (with Alain Delon), The American Friend, The Talented Mr. Ripley (with Matt Damon), and Ripley’s Game (with John Malkovich), I can say that The American Friend captures the essence of the books (if not the details) better than any other film. But for those who don’t care about the books, it’s still a great film.

Anyone with a Netflix account who likes a good crime thriller should check it out.

Here’s a trailer:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUGOMhevV70[/youtube]

Hi, i have once seen this movie, but actually i didn't get it

anton