The American Soldier (1970)

Synopsis: THE AMERICAN SOLDIER is Fassbinder's odd, stylized homage to American gangster films. Made during the Vietnam War, the story focuses on a soldier who returns to Germany from the conflict abroad and... THE AMERICAN SOLDIER is Fassbinder's odd, stylized homage to American gangster films. Made during the Vietnam War, the story focuses on a soldier who returns to Germany from the conflict abroad and promptly embarks on a lucrative career as a contract killer. He soon sinks into a murky, noirish world populated by porn, prostitution and lowlife hangers-on. But this hired gun doesn't work for the mafia; he's been hired to kill by the State. Hiding behind his policeman's badge, he enjoys the same government-sanctioned right to kill that he exercised as a soldier in Vietnam. In the midst of this squalid tale, Fassbinder takes the opportunity to give a nod to several of his heroes -- some of the movie's minor characters are named Fuller, Walsh, and even Rosa von Praunheim. A strange, but excellent film. [More]

Starring: Karl Scheydt, Margarethe Von Trotta, Elga Sorbas, Jan George

Starring: Karl Scheydt, Margarethe Von Trotta, Elga Sorbas, Jan George

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Screenwriter: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Composer: Peer Raben

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