After having fought in the Vietnam War, Ricky, an American gangster, returns to Munich where he spent his childhood. Known to the police, he is hired to liquidate a few criminals.
The American Soldier is peppered with Hollywood quotes, especially works by Raoul Walsh and John Huston. It shows state-regulated violence as even more ambiguous and excessive than that of the gangsters themselves. But as Fassbinder himself will say : “At the end of the day, both are doing their job, a dirty job” .
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
(1970 – B&W – 80 mins)
SUPPLEMENTS:
. FASSBINDER IN HOLLYWOOD (57 mins)
A documentary by Robert Fischer, co-written with actor Ulli Lommel, evoking Fassbinder's fascination with Hollywood.
. THE TRAMP (1966 – Black & White – 11 mins)
a short film by RW Fassbinder
slim dvd
Released October 5, 2011
