The American Friend (Der amerikanische Freund)
Directed by Wim Wenders
Written by Wim Wenders from Patricia Highsmith’s novel Ripley’s Game
1977/West Germany
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Tom Ripley: Must be good to work here. Then when you finish something, you can see what you’ve done.
Jonathan Zimmermann: It’s not that easy. Not that safe and easy. What do you make?
Tom Ripley: I make money. And I travel a lot. I’m bringing the Beatles back to Hamburg.
This excellent thriller was clearly directed by a film buff.
Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) is up to his old tricks. Currently, he is in Hamburg peddling paintings by an artist (Nicholas Ray) who has faked his own demise to force prices up. He meets picture framer and art restorer Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) at an auction. Zimmermann tips off his friend, a bidder, that the blue in the painting is “wrong” and then refuses to shake Ripley’s hand. That’s enough to put Jonathan on Ripley’s list. The bidder informs Ripley that Jonathan is suffering from a blood disease and is no longer doing much restoring.
Soon thereafter, Ripley shows up at Jonathan’s shop requesting to have a picture framed. He learns that the framer has a wife and small son. Jonathan apologizes for his behavior at the auction with a small gift. Ripley says he has heard about Jonathan’s illness and how it is getting worse. He says he knows how Jonathan can make a great deal of money by carrying out contract killings. No way, says Jonathan.
Then Raoul Minot, an associate of Ripley’s, approaches Jonathan and makes a specific proposal for a hit. He says he has heard that Jonathan does not have long to live. Although Jonathan’s own doctor denies any reason for immediate concern, Minot lures him to Paris for a second opinion. Soon Jonathan is tempted to make a deal. I will stop here. With Samuel Fuller as a mobster.
I love Bruno Ganz and Wim Wenders and I like this film a lot. There are references to various films and film personalities throughout. Not in an obtrusive way but so that obsessive movie watchers can delight in recognizing them. Three American directors – Hopper, Ray, and Fuller – appear as actors. It’s a dark but gripping thriller. I had forgotten the ending, which is truly spectacular. Recommended.
