Focus on Wim Wenders

The American Friend

2 hr. 5 min. | Drama, Crime, Mystical | N/A

The now cult film "Friend from America" ​​is based on Patricia Highsmirth's novel The Game of Ripper. Jonathan is convinced that he will soon die of blood disease. Jonathan's friend from America, cowboy Ripley, decides to take advantage of his illness. Ripley introduces him to gangsters. These offer Jonathan to become a professional killer and thus secure a legacy for his family. After all, he will die soon, so he has nothing to lose. Ripley’s plan was to entrust Jonathan to do all the dirty work, but things start to change when men make friends.

"All films are political. The most political are those films that pretend not to be like that, ie "entertainment" films. Such films are most political because they silence the likelihood of change. With each shot, they claim that everything is as good as it is. They are an ongoing advertisement for the status quo. It seems to me that “Friend from America” is a different movie. Yes, it’s good and interesting entertainment, but it doesn’t advertise anything. On the contrary, everything in it is dangerously open. The film does not speak to the viewer as if from above. The characters are not puppets, there are no puppets in the film. "We are considered puppets in most" political "films," says Wenders.

Wim Wenders

Wim Wenders

Wim Wenders was born in Germany in 1945. He is well-known filmmaker, author, photographer. After two years of studying medicine and philosophy and a yearlong stay in Paris as a painter he attended the University of Television and Film in Munich from 1967 to 1970. Made his feature directorial debut with Summer in the City (1970). He gained recognition with very successful features Alice in the Cities (1973), The American Friend (1977), Paris, Texas (1984), Wings of Desire (1987) and Faraway, So Close (1993). Wenders has directed several highly acclaimed documentaries, most notably Buena Vista Social Club (1998), Pina (2011). Michael Glawogger was born in Graz, Austria, in 1959. He studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and the Film Academy Vienna. Whores’ Glory completed his trilogy of essayist documentaries in 2011. He is currently on a one year travel around the world for his new documentary Untitled.      Michael Madsen was born in Copenhagen,Denmark in 1972. He studied art history and works as a filmmaker and conceptual artist. Founder and artistic leader of the Sound/Gallery in Copenhagen. His documentary Into Eternity (2010) provides a glimpse into the world’s first final nuclear waste facility.    Robert Redford was born in Santa Monica, USA, in 1936. He is an actor, film director, producer, and environmentalist. In 1981 he received an Oscar for his directorial debut Ordinary People and in 2001 an honorary Oscar.      Margreth Olin was born in Norway, in 1970. She studied journalism and documentary filmmaking in Bergen and Oslo. She directs and produces documentaries and feature films and stages theatre plays. Her work focuses on social and political issues. Her first feature The Angel was the Norwegian Oscar entry in 2010. Her most recent documentary Nowhere Home received the Norwegian Film Award 2013.   Karim Aïnouz was born in Brazil, in 1966. He studied architecture in Brazil and film in New York. He directs fiction and documentary films and teaches script writing. His art installations have been exhibited widely. His directorial debut Madame Sata screened in Un Certain Regard in Cannes in 2002.
Languages
German
Subtitles
Lithuanian, English
Original title
Der amerikanische Freund
Produced
1977: Germany, France

Film information

Director
Wim Wenders
Screenplay
Wim Wenders, Patricia Highsmith
Music
Jürgen Knieper
Cinematography
Robby Müller
Cast
Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Nicholas Ray
More information
www.imdb.com