The American Friend
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.
Where to watch
Criterion Channel
Stream
Amazon Video
Rent · Buy
Apple TV Store
Rent · Buy
Fandango At Home
Rent · Buy
Your rating
Your review
Cast
24 people
Dennis Hopper
Tom Ripley
Known for
Speed
Waterworld
Bruno Ganz
Jonathan Zimmermann
Known for
Downfall
The House That Jack Built
Lisa Kreuzer
Marianne Zimmermann
Known for
Dark
Alice in the Cities
Gérard Blain
Raoul Minot
Known for
The Mischief Makers
The Cousins
Nicholas Ray
Andrew Pogash Derwatt
Known for
Hair
Samuel Fuller
The American
Known for
A Return to Salem's Lot
White Dog
Peter Lilienthal
Marcangelo
Also in
Milo-Milo
Julius geht nach Amerika
Daniel Schmid
Samuel Igraham
Also in
The Merchant of Four Seasons
Lili Marleen
Sandy Whitelaw
Doctor in Paris
Known for
The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Beau Pere
Jean Eustache
Friendly Man
Also in
Les Roses de la vie
Robinson's Place
Lou Castel
Rodolphe
Known for
Fists in the Pocket
Beware of a Holy Whore
Andreas Dedecke
Daniel Zimmermann
No other roles listed
Wim Wenders Director · Patricia Highsmith Author Jürgen Knieper Composer
United States release September 26, 1977 · Produced in France, Germany, United States · Languages English, French, German
Production
Road Movies
Production
Wim Wenders Productions
Production
Les Films du Losange
Production
WDR
Production
Moli Films
Production
Filmverlag der Autoren
Production
Bavaria Film
Production
Road Movies Filmproduktion GmbH
Production
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Production
France · Germany · United States
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Der amerikanische Freund
Original language
German
Spoken on screen
English · French · German
Release dates
France · May 26, 1977
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
Germany · June 24, 1977
Theatrical
United States · September 26, 1977
Limited theatrical
United States
September 24, 1977 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
Denmark
June 24, 1977 · Limited theatrical
Finland
June 24, 1977 · Limited theatrical
France
September 28, 1977 · Theatrical
January 8, 2003 · Physical · DVD
October 17, 2023 · Physical · Blu-Ray
India
February 7, 2025 · Premiere · The India Tour
Japan
October 11, 1977 · Theatrical
Netherlands
June 5, 2010 · TV · Nederland 2
November 4, 2010 · Physical · DVD
Sweden
June 24, 1977 · Limited theatrical
Thailand
October 12, 2025 · Premiere · Bangkok International Film Festival
United Kingdom
September 28, 1977 · Theatrical · Edinburgh International Film Festival
More from Wim Wenders
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.