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Showing posts from January, 2021

The American: A Carefully Crafted Assassin Film

The opening sequence of George Clooney ’s 2010 assassin film The American is shocking but interesting. We see a couple, Clooney and Irina Bjorklund , relaxing after a love-making session. The brooding Clooney is sitting on the floor; a naked Irina Bjorklund caresses his body while laying on the bed.  This set-up is interesting as it leaves no clue about the genre of the film. An ordinary moviegoer would easily guess it as a romantic movie, provided he or she hasn’t googled The American. The couple goes out and gets attacked by two snipers, whom the beautiful Irina confuses as hunters. Clooney’s girlfriend gets shocked when he kills two of his attackers with his gun. While killing his attackers Clooney’s character Jack displays the adeptness of a seasoned contract killer. It is only at this moment that we realise that The American is an assassin film. After killing the hunters, Jack kills his girlfriend, maybe to protect his identity as a gunsmith and a professional assassin. A great