From director Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas), based on the novel Ripley's Game, which I know was turned into a film with John Malkovich, this film featured in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, so I naturally wanted to see it. Basically Swiss picture framer Jonathan Zimmermann (Downfall's Bruno Ganz) from Hamburg, Germany is slowly dying of the blood disease leukaemia, and American art forger Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), and they are introduced to each other at an auction. French criminal Raoul Minot (Gérard Blain) approaches Tom, he wants him to kill a rival gangster, but he refuses, but the criminal presses him that he owes him, so Minot suggests the idea to Jonathan, offering a lot of money to give his wife Marianne (Lisa Kreuzer) and son after he dies. Zimmermann originally turns down the offer, but remembering he may not have long to live, and tricked by Minot into thinking he is dying sooner than he think, he does agree to the murder. He manages to shoot the man in question at an underground train station without notice, and Ripley visits him before and after this happens to have a picture framed, Jonathan has no idea he is involved in the scheme, but the two become good friends. Tom is appalled by Minot after he wants Zimmermann to kill another rival gangster, this time on a moving train by strangulation, but he agrees again, only after he makes sure his wife will get the money whatever happens to him. He does not expect Ripley to be on the train as well though, and he commits the murder instead, along with a bodyguard, and after some near misses with passengers and other criminals on the train they do get away with it. When they return home Tom confesses to Jonathan his involved in the scheme, he declines an offer to take his money for the hit and he wants nothing more to do with his friend, he advises Jonathan he should tell Minot he acted alone. Ripley is later contacted by Zimmermann because his wife is becoming suspicious of his recent activity, she also believes the American man is corrupting him, also he believes the mafia are looking for him after some mysterious phone calls. After Minot tells Jonathan his flat has been bombed, and Tom takes him with him to the mansion where assassins are meeting them, they are ambushed but manage to kill the gunmen, and they plan a long distance journey to dump the bodies. Jonathan's wife tells him that he was deceived about his medical condition, and he agrees to have a proper talk about things after they have got rid of the bodies in the ambulance they have taken. They stop on a beach and Tom with them pours petrol all over the ambulance and sets it alight, but Jonathan and his wife drive off without him, but while driving on the road Jonathan suddenly loses consciousness, they crash, the wife is alive but he has died, and Tom is seen sitting on the dock, while Minot watching him walks away. Also starring Nicholas Ray as Derwatt, Samuel Fuller as American mobster, Peter Lilienthal as Marcangelo, Daniel Schmid as Igraham, Jean Eustache as Friendly man, Rudolf Schündler as Gantner, Sandy Whitelaw as Doctor in Paris and Lou Castel as Rodolphe. Hopper is great as the American Friend of the title, i.e. a loner with crime connections, and Ganz is also great as the man slowly dying and committing acts against his morals for the money he needs for his family, the story does has a resemblance to Strangers on a Train in moments, I will admit I got confused in the tiniest moments, but overall there were some exciting and eye-catching sequences that grip you, and overall it is a very watchable crime drama. Very good!
Review of The American Friend
