The American

Part of the special series IN CONTROL: THE FILMS OF ANTON CORBIJN

An American in Italy: head charmer George Clooney is the smart hitman Jack, who goes from hunter to hunted. He is a master of his trade: extremely precise, constantly on his guard, extremely suspicious and never stays in one place longer than necessary. When a job goes unexpectedly wrong, he decides that his next assignment should be his last. Jack travels to Italy to prepare himself in peace and quiet in the seclusion of a sleepy mountain village.

But the picturesque idyll is deceptive: the village priest shows a conspicuous interest in the stranger and repeatedly seeks to talk to him. Then the extremely mysterious client suddenly turns up at Jack's house. And finally there is the seductive prostitute Clara, who casts a spell over him more and more. Gradually, Jack begins to take off his protective shield. But in doing so, he also challenges his fate - and that could have deadly consequences...

THE AMERICAN is an atmospherically dense thriller that is characterised less by spectacular action than by its quiet, almost meditative narrative style. The film focuses not only on Jack's technical skills, but also on his attempt to allow human closeness. But while he slowly opens up, the question remains as to whether a life outside of violence is even possible for him. And so the thriller presents itself as a sparse and quiet psychogram told at a leisurely pace, which thrives on the tension between the characters and develops a considerable emotional impact. A film that clearly stands out from typical Hollywood action films.