Axiom Films Catalogue 2014 June 2014 | Page 71

THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977) A film by Wim Wenders In THE AMERICAN FRIEND, acclaimed director Wim Wenders transforms Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley’s Game into a gripping European noir. Professional frame maker Jonathan (Bruno Ganz) has been diagnosed with a terminal blood disease. A chance encounter with the enigmatic Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) offers him a way to ensure a stable future for his family. But as Jonathan embarks on his new and dangerous role, Tom questions his motives for involving his new friend. Superbly shot by Robbie Müller, Wim Wenders draws on his love of American cinema and pays homage to the B-movie and Film Noir tradition. The result is one of his finest films. “elaborate and brilliant” THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH “outstanding…Ganz gives a wholly remarkable performance… a thriller and a half” THE GUARDIAN “a really extraordinary performance by Ganz… stunning” THE SUNDAY TIMES “fascinating… extremely powerful… perfect Hitchcockian set-pieces… Bruno Ganz is excellent” 4 STARS EMPIRE “Superb” TIME OUT OFFICIAL SELECTION - IN COMPETITION - Cannes Film Festival Bonus Features: • Feature-length commentary with director Wim Wenders and Dennis Hopper • Deleted scenes (with optional commentary) • Original German trailer Certificate: 12 Running Time: 121 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 anamorphic Audio: Dolby Stereo and optional 5.1 Country: Germany Language: German and English with optional English subtitles Genre: Drama / Thriller Region: 2 Cat. No: AXM573 Barcode: 5060126870234