The American Friend
Der amerikanische Freund
Synopsis
Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
AFS PRESENTS: THE AMERICAN FRIENDOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2015-12-21
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Dennis Hopper
Tom Ripley
Bruno Ganz
Jonathan Zimmermann
Lisa Kreuzer
Marianne Zimmermann
Gérard Blain
Raoul Minot
Nicholas Ray
Andrew Pogash Derwatt
Samuel Fuller
The American
Peter Lilienthal
Marcangelo
Daniel Schmid
Samuel Igraham
Sandy Whitelaw
Doctor in Paris
Jean Eustache
Friendly Man
Lou Castel
Rodolphe
Andreas Dedecke
Daniel Zimmermann
David Blue
Allan Winter
Rudolf Schündler
Gantner
Gerty Molzen
Old Lady
Heinz Joachim Klein
Dr. Gabriel
Satya De La Manitou
Angie
Axel Schiessler
Lippo
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
September 26, 1977
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 8, 2003
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Wim Wenders
- Screenplay & Story
- Wim Wenders
- Original Score
- Jürgen Knieper
- Original Title
- Der amerikanische Freund
- Country of Origin
- France, Germany, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, French, German
- Runtime
- 2h 5m
- Production Studios
- Road Movies, Wim Wenders Productions, Les Films du Losange, WDR, Moli Films, Filmverlag der Autoren
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders, Patricia Highsmith
Jürgen Knieper
Robby Müller
Peter Przygodda
Renée Gundelach, Joachim von Mengershausen, Wim Wenders
Department Leadership Roster
Wim Wenders
Director
Wim Wenders
Screenplay
Joachim von Mengershausen
Producer
Jürgen Knieper
Original Music Composer
Robby Müller
Director of Photography
Peter Przygodda
Editor
Wim Wenders
Producer
Isolde Nist
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The American Friend.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The American Friend.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
American cinema | سینمای آمریکا
The best films up to 2025 | برترین آثار تا سال ۲۰۲۵
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Gangster
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vison of mind
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/vison-of-mind
Mind Games
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Frequently Asked Questions About The American Friend
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The American Friend about?
Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.
Who directed The American Friend?
The American Friend was directed by Wim Wenders.
Who stars in The American Friend?
The principal cast of The American Friend includes Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzer, Gérard Blain, Nicholas Ray.
When was The American Friend released and how long is it?
The American Friend was released in 1977 with a total runtime of 2h 5m.
Who composed the musical score for The American Friend?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The American Friend was composed by Jürgen Knieper.
Is The American Friend based on a book or true story?
The American Friend is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Patricia Highsmith".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The American Friend?
The American Friend holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).