The American Friend

1977 Wenders movie

Rating: 17/20

Plot: A guy who frames paintings makes friends with Dennis Hopper, probably not the kind of thing that's ever a good idea.

Dennis Hopper as a corrupting influence, and you have to assume Wenders is saying something about America's influence on the rest of the world. I think this is an anti-American film, and I probably should be offended, but it's really difficult to defend this country. It’s difficult enough historically, sure.  But right now?

So Hopper is a manipulator, he holds petty grudges, he's violent and incites violence, he's crazed, he's a braggart. He fucks everything up and still can look the rest of the world in its eye across an ocean and say, "We did it!" at the end. And he plays pool like he invented the game! He's an infection!

Bruno Ganz plays this so subtly as the noirish protagonist who has let American Dennis Hopper into his blood stream. Each of his pauses tells its own story, and the couple of moments where he laughs joyfully would make Mephistophilis stroke a goatee.

Wenders doesn't mess around when he's completely messing around during an extended train sequence. There's a sly humor to that and to this whole thing that gives this an unexpected seasoning.