The American Soldier

The American Soldier is a strikingly original motion picture directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, produced in 1970. Displaying the gritty hard-boiled world of crime and love, the film imbibes the typical Fassbinder artistry of cinema, which does well to encapsulate the viewer in the filmmakers' complex web of storytelling. Renowned actor Karl Scheydt, cast as the movie's protagonist Ricky, gives a striking performance that lingers in the mind of the viewers long after the credits roll. With bold, path-breaking performances from the co-actors Elga Sorbas and Jan George, the film conjures up a disquieting atmosphere that seizes viewer attention from the get-go.

The film plunges us into the captivatingly bleak setting of late-1960s Munich after Ricky returns from the Vietnam War, instinctively reaching out for the shadowy criminal underworld. Here emerges an intriguing contrast as Scheydt portrays a character that is disturbingly stoic and stonily impassive, against the vibrant textured fabric of a city festering under the reign of crime. The audience is left to grapple with the ills of society mirrored alongside the grimacing reality of war, threaded with a man's desperate endeavors that lead him onto wrong paths.

The American Soldier pulls no punches. Ricky is a cold-blooded hitman with a heart, a paradox on its own, crafting a complex narrative of his life as he tries to reconcile with towering figures from his past, beautifully enacted by Jan George and Elga Sorbas. His relentless and emotionless approach towards his tasks coupled with a surprising hidden warmth, set up an enigmatic character with vast emotional layers. Notably, Sorbas’ character serves as an emotional fulcrum, an anchor to the human side of Ricky that sets out a mood of constant struggle between his professional duties and emotional desires.

The cinematography of the film deserves singular praise. The film’s grim and grey imagery, often with poignant undertones, is depicted with a sheer vastness of detail – an aesthetic choice rooted in reality that seemingly enhances the chilling narrative. The clever choice of filming location allows for a stark contrast between the grim world of crime and the mundanity of the common city life, which fabricates a tantalizing mix of reality and fiction.

Fassbinder's direction is pure art, replete with an intellect that matches the dark intensity of the narrative. His lens is primarily focused on Scheydt's character, as he shapes the narrative around him. All the characters' intricate webs of emotions, loyalties, betrayals and loves play out in relation to Ricky, making him the gravitational center of the film's universe.

Quite interestingly, the film is a testament to the ingenious classic Film Noir narrative style. Fassbinder, in this homage to the 40s-50s American detective and crime stories, captures their essence, yet bestows his own signature touch to it. The savagery, the lawlessness, the grit, and the unrelenting pursuit, create an atmosphere that runs in parallel with the classic Film Noir essence owing to the splendid performances of the protagonists and supporting cast.

The storytelling in The American Soldier is character-driven, bursting with raw emotions and stark reality that does not shy away from depicting the brutality of life as a criminal, or the terror of war. The narrative is engaging and unnerving, with plot twists and turns designed to keep the viewer gripped till the end.

With The American Soldier, Fassbinder offers an intricate dive into the psyche of a war-torn soldier turned contract killer and beautifully computes the ravages of war and violence, drawing a parallel to the rugged and dirty terrains of underworld crime. It challenges viewers to think beyond the mere surface of the characters and their world, and to ponder on the systemic injustices of society. It is a filmmaking triumph interlaced with an engaging storyline, compelling performances, and breathtaking cinematography.