The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is a 1972 film directed by Wim Wenders, based on the novel of the same name by Peter Handke. The film centers around a goalkeeper named Bloch (Arthur Brauss) who is sent off during a game for committing a foul. As he walks off the field, he appears disconnected from reality and wanders the streets until he meets a cinema cashier (Kai Fischer) whom he spends the night with.
The next day, Bloch commits a murder and spends the rest of the film fleeing from the police while also trying to come to terms with his own actions. The film is not a typical detective story, but rather a character study of a man who is disconnected from society and struggling to find meaning in his life.
Wim Wenders uses long takes and slow pacing to convey the monotony of Bloch's existence and the sense of detachment he feels. The film also explores the cultural influence of America on post-war West Germany, highlighting the way that Hollywood movies and American pop culture had infiltrated German society and influenced the way people saw themselves and their country.
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick is a haunting and poetic film that explores themes of alienation, existentialism, and the search for meaning in life.