Max Von Sydow's ponderous commentary papers over some of the holes in the ragged narrative of this political thriller about an idealistic young German-American embroiled in corruption and danger in post-World War Two Germany. Eddie Constantine, the American-born star of two decades of West German thrillers, turns up to little effect here among a multinational cast that includes a French hero (Jean-Marc Barr) and a German heroine (Fassbinder favourite Barbara Sukowa). Henning Bendtsen's extraordinary black-and-white and colour camerawork is some compensation for over-stylised and essentially empty direction by the overrated Lars von Trier.


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