The American Friend
Wim Wenders, 1977, 121 min
German, English & French with English subtitles  

“International intrigue, art and homicide, film and contemporary culture form the matrix of themes that underpin Wenders’s brilliant quasi-thriller, loosely adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel Ripley’s Game. A terminally ill picture framer in Hamburg (Ganz) reluctantly agrees to become a hit man to insure the future of his soon-to-be widow (Kreuzer). Duplicity and ambiguity reign as he crosses paths with double-crossing killers (including filmmaker Sam Fuller) and shady American art dealer Tom Ripley, played by Dennis Hopper in cowboy gear.” – Harvard Film Archive

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Screening as part of our Close-Up on Wim Wenders programme