Product: The American Friend [VHS] (1977)
Rating: 4.0
Lost in the Unknown with Bruno Ganz
Plunge a character into a world that is unknown and completely foreign to them and watch as their world comes crashing down around their ankles-this is the plot that outlines _The American Friend_ . Mr. Ripley, played here by Dennis Hopper, is a man who deals with art forgeries and, quite oddly, schemes to involve a stranger named Jonathan Zimmermann (played by Bruno Ganz) in a series of murders. Things go splendidly until Jonathon starts to unwind. Despite Zimmermann's hopes to provide for his family, his involvement with Mr. Ripley's associates only leads to the destruction of his family and his way of life. Slow at times, _The American Friend_ is a film that gains most of its appeal from the richness of the characters. I was particularly impressed with Bruno Ganz's performance, as he manages to establish a strong character and completely distintegrate throughout the film gradually. His performance is so strong that one gets the impression that the film was shot in sequence-the continuity is that good. Dennis Hopper is also strong in his role as the querky Mr. Ripley (a completely different portrayal than the recent Matt Damon rendition), though I was not drawn to his character when opposite of Ganz. Of course, Hopper's character does not really enter the film in any significant way until he has decided to befriend a man he has already doomed, but I still expected a little more from the young Hopper.Though slow at times due to the action-film turned character piece (often said to be a thriller with no thrills), _The American Friend_ has more than enough suspense to keep an audience going when it is at its best. Worth a rent and a second look.