The American
Directed by Anton Corbijn
- crime
- drama
- thriller
The story
Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, assassin Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him.
What it’s like
Cool, unhurried compositions in muted earth tones: the Abruzzo hills in autumn, stone villages with shuttered windows, pale Swedish winter light that flattens every snowfield to grey-white. Anton Corbijn frames his people in long, still takes, often from a distance, so a man sitting alone on a bench or bent over a workbench becomes the whole picture. The sound is sparse, with ambient wind, footsteps on cobbles, church bells and a few piano and strings cues from Herbert Grönemeyer and Eduard Artemyev that hang in the air rather than swelling. The vibe is melancholy and watchful, a slow dread that settles into quiet, best suited to a rainy evening or a late night alone. Pacing is deliberate, with long stretches of routine punctuated by sudden, abrupt violence. That violence is brief but lands hard, including a few gunshots and a close-quarters killing, with some nudity and a sex scene that is frank but not explicit. An aging, guarded man slowly testing whether he can let someone close, and finding the cost of doing so. For people who want a grave, atmospheric thriller in which character matters more than plot twists and nothing is wasted.
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