On D List of Movie Reviews

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Der amerikanische Freund (1977)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 1/26

AmFri
1/26: Finally...a normal-paced film by Wim Wenders.

I think it's because he had something established to work with which was Patricia Highsmith novel Ripley's Game. To be forewarned, I had twice seen the other version starring John Malkovich that's actually more faithful, so Der amerikanische Freund, German for The American Friend, took a lot of getting used to.

The biggest difference is the Wim Wenders' picture is seen through Jonathan's perspective while the other one is through Tom Ripley's. Therefore, I can accept both, and they're interesting, thanks to the excellent cinematography. The guy with the patch is Nicholas Ray, the director of Rebel Without a Cause that ironically starred Dennis Hopper who was a big-time art collector in real life, and there are also five more directors playing different characters.

However, I don't see Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley, a character that John Malkovich was born to play. Even Alain Delon was so good in Plein soleil that he set a very high bar. But it's still a decent performance and a curio since it primarily takes place in Germany and he's an American actor. On the other hand, Bruno Ganz is perfect, being the biggest reason why the film works.

All in all, Der amerikanische Freund is well-made in every aspect, but Ripley's Game is the superior picture.