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      The American Soldier

      1970 1h 20m Drama List
      79% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 55% Audience Score 250+ Ratings A soldier returns home from Vietnam and is hired by crooked cops to kill a few crooks but things get complicated when one of the cop's girlfriend falls for him. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Noel Murray The Dissolve Fassbinder toys with the imagery of noir and pulp, peppering The American Soldier with long scenes of men in hats driving through darkened city streets, and throwing in references to Batman comics and science-fiction. Rated: 3/5 Sep 4, 2013 Full Review Keith Uhlich House Next Door As Billy Wilder turned a crumbling Berlin into a slapstick, satirical playground in One, Two, Three, so Fassbinder offers up The American Soldier's Munich as a monochrome city of sadness. Jan 28, 2009 Full Review Tony Rayns Time Out This film marks a decisive step towards 'real' Fassbinder: the absurdity of its world of second-hand experience invests every clich with a meaning it never had before. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Jordan Brooks Vague Visages A surrealist bookend to his unofficial gangster trilogy, The American Soldier finds R.W. Fassbinder not only at peace with his version of cinematic grace but more cynically-minded than ever. Aug 3, 2023 Full Review Ted Whitehead The Spectator Fassbinder loses both comedy and tension in his pursuit of grotesquerie, and there is a desperate sense of strain throughout. Aug 4, 2015 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion The phantoms of Old Germany are everywhere Oct 10, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (20) audience reviews
      Audience Member Strange, exasperating, and oddly compelling. The American Soldier is a hired gunman who kills some people for not entirely clear reasons. It's a noir, yes, but almost surreal. For instance, a hotel maid who's infatuated with our (anti) hero walks in on him while he's consorting with a whore on a bed. She sits at the foot of the bed and tells a tale of a woman who marries a Turk who kills her and we find out there's a lot of Turks named Ali. The couple finishes up and walk into a hallway to find the maid distraught about her marriage and she kills herself. Yes, your guess is as good as mine. Johnny C sez check it out if you want your mind bent. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member You can see how Fassbinder is evolving as a film maker, but his gangster films aren't as strong as his xenophobic work. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Nearly unclassifiable as usual for Fassbinder. There is a plot that helps keep one more engaged, but it's mostly for art house fiends and those who already know what they're getting into with this director. I personally feel this one missed the mark even though it tries hard to bring a surreal edge to film noir...mostly it falls flat and includes a ridiculous ending that would be satisfying to only someone completely looped. Fassbinder truly is hit or miss. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Veers wildly, scene to scene, from idiotic to compelling, and probably wasn't the best place to start with Fassbinder. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Fassbinder's homage to the American film noir, "The American Soldier" has the style and the coolness of those 40's films, but transposed into West Germany, specifically Munich with the crime lords there. It's one of those films that consistency in plot is not as much important as the images, especailly the very extended final shot of the movie. It's not the greatest in Fassbinder's career, but if you're a fan, then it's not to pass. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member it includes this incredible track fassbinder and peer raben wrote with günther kaufman's brilliant vocals. it also includes one of the most haunting endings i have ever seen on screen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A soldier returns home from Vietnam and is hired by crooked cops to kill a few crooks but things get complicated when one of the cop's girlfriend falls for him.
      Director
      Rainer Werner Fassbinder
      Screenwriter
      Rainer Werner Fassbinder
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      German
      Runtime
      1h 20m