Up until now, director Anton Corbijn’s career has revolved around the music industry. With a CV dominated by documentaries and video compilations of Depeche Mode, U2 and Metallica, and his first feature film Control (2007) biographically depicting the life of Joy Division front man Ian Curtis, The American represents his first foray away from his comfort zone. And of course, having George Clooney on board as your lead role is hardly a bad start.
Adapted from the 1990 Martin Booth novel “A Very Private Gentleman”, The American follows Jack (Clooney), an American assassin who is forced to lay low in the small Italian town of Castlevecchio, following a surprise attempt on his life during a morning excursion in a remote Swedish cabin with Ingrid (Irina Björklund), a girlfriend of his. Laying low in Italy is not as straightforward as it may seem however, with Jack instantaneously moving to the nearby town of Castel del Monte, taking on a mysterious job for his boss, discovering that every town has its secrets, and of course finding time for the obligatory love story.
One of the first thing that we notice (aside from Björklund’s modesty), is the determination of Corbijn to create the most beautiful looking piece that he possibly can. He achieves this in style, with the picturesque establishing shots highlighting the beauty of the scenic landscape available. These postcard visuals also serve a purpose in terms of the story, acting as an obvious contrast to the dangerous and imperfect life led by Jack. The impressive locational visuals also act as a constant reminder of the opening sequence, where danger lurks within these idyllic surroundings.
In fact, we see these surroundings quite often. Devoid of any visible life, they act as the canvas from which Corbijn paints a masterpiece of emptiness. The towns that we see have few inhabitants, the restaurants likewise, and with little to no traffic for the most part it appears as though Clooney’s has plenty of space within which to disappear. Considering his own lack of possessions- a backpack and a Fiat Tempra provided by his boss Pavel (Johan Leysen), it should not prove all that difficult. The emptiness exuded by the location and his lack of possessions is further channelled through Jack, who has decided to opt out of his profession in exchange for a normal life, and love in particular, which evades him.
During his trip to the local brothel, Jack becomes besotted by local hooker Clara (Violate Placido), following an encounter of love, and not lust as one would expect. Clara is a curious character, a free spirit who appears surprisingly intelligent and with a knowledge of the outside world: depicted through a single comment regarding “small town people” during a meal with Jack, and of course her very advanced handle of the English language. Despite warnings from Pavel not to let anyone become close to him, Jack has found his love interest, amidst a whole lot of suspicion- she could quite easily be an assassin herself.
The American is not an entirely different project from Corbijn’s previous works, as it is a slow paced character driven piece, looking at Clooney’s life as closely and as intimately as any self respecting biographer would. This slow pace initially serves a very fine purpose. For quite a while it seems as though someone is always watching, our protagonist can never be sure who to trust, and we await a major incident, ANY major incident, to occur. As time passes though, the film grinds to a standstill, with very little happening in the way of entertainment, leaving a longwinded mid film lull. This forces us to engage more with Jack and considering the film in entitled The American, and Clooney plays said American, it is less than surprising that our sole focus is on him, and nothing else.
Clooney’s character is perfectly crafted, and his appearance as the suave, discerning gentleman that we have seen throughout his Hollywood career allows a him to be one of the most likeable hitmen in cinema history, notably because he is portrayed so innocently. Never does he kill unless he is threatened, he is always the victim. Never do we see him partake in a hit, he is the assassin without the assassination. Haunted by his profession, he wants freedom, he wants love, he wants peace, quiet, beauty and butterflies.
Despite this he still has a job to do, however sceptical he may be, and his final task involves the construction of a highly specific and customised rifle. This process leaves us in no doubt as to the great level of expertise at which he operates. He is an exceptional craftsman, slowly and almost painstakingly making each construction, and each adjustment, throughout the course of the film. Although this is again longwinded and perhaps takes up too much screen time, the rifle is central to the how to the story plays out, and it also offers a further glimpse into the demeanour of Jack: professional, talented, dedicated, and intelligent.
Aside from Jack and Clara, and the female assassin for which Jack fashions the rifle, the only other character of note is a local priest, Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli), who acts as the all-seeing eye and an apparent beacon of wisdom with which Jack interacts. Although it is not a bad thing to have such a minimalistic cast, it adds to that constant barren feeling that lingers from scene to scene.
The American is neither a masterpiece nor is it an embarrassment. It is a fantastic looking film, not only for the landscape on show, but also for the very deliberate use of monochromatic lighting- reds for the lusty brothel, yellows under the night time street lights and blues for the local coffee shop; there is no doubt that Corbijn has a strong artistic eye. Likewise, his biographical background allows him to create an intriguing and likeable protagonist. Having said that, the pace is simply too slow at times, and not everyone will be content with the emptiness on show from beginning to end.
Rating:
3/5
