| WINGS OF DESIRE Der Himmel über Berlin |
 1987 - West Germany / FranceDirector:
Wim Wenders - Reviewed by Rachel
But please, if you can’t handle black and white movies with subtitles, don’t even bother. Nothing I can say will help you appreciate this great film. With that disclaimer in place.... Wings of Desire is a sad, slow, (mostly) black & white German film that is surprisingly uplifting and life-affirming in the end. It’s the story of a fallen angel and the city in which he chooses to fall. Many stories intermingle while the camera moves constantly across the cityscape of Berlin, when the Wall had not yet fallen. Buildings, streets, interior rooms, a seat on the train, a desk at the library, to the top of the Ku’damm Church or the Victory Column—the viewer gets quite a tour. Wenders puts "life in 1980’s Germany" on the screen for you to explore. From the old people looking for their memories to the young people dancing at an ubergothic Nick Cave show, it’s all there for your perusal. The principle plot revolves around a pair of eons-old angels, Damiel and Cassiel, who wander the streets of Berlin listening to human thoughts, comforting the lost, and envying the happy. Their world is black and white. They can only listen, but never communicate, and never experience. One day Damiel finds the Circus Alekan (named after the Director of Photography, Henri Alekan), and a beautiful but miserable trapeze artist unconsciously draws him into her world. While Cassiel (Otto Sander) is content to remain eternal, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) decides he wants to live a short but exciting mortal life. He drops to earth and sets out to find the displaced circus performer/waitress, Marion (Solveig Dommartin in her first film performance). He receives some advice from Peter Falk, who plays himself with one tiny fictional modification that I will leave for you to discover. In the midst of all this you find the story of the city itself, Berlin, told through the mental ramblings of an old man, the actors working on a movie about the Nazi years, and the taxi cab driver whose memory paints the streets outside his window with wartime devastation. To enjoy the film, you must accept these visual forays as part of the overall message. Some will make more sense if you see the sequel Far Away, So Close as well. (Don’t worry, it’s very different—mostly color and a lot more active. You’ll be ok!) Wrapped around all stories is the concept of existence. If anyone could put this on film, Wenders could. This is the powerful undercurrent you will either get or not get. So shut the blinds, unhook the phone, and turn off all the lights. You will need to pay full attention and delve into an almost meditative state in order to feel the subtle joy that comes in the end. P.S. For the love of all that is holy, puh-leeze do not run out and rent City of Angels (Meg Ryan, Nicholas Cage) thinking it’s a more exciting short-cut to the same end. That piece of crap is a travesty and there is NO resemblance. Humph! |
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Not everybody gets it. Being special, of course, I do. I’ve seen Wings of Desire more times than I can count—and no, not because I was trying to understand it! I was basking. Like you would bask in the sun, I bask in this movie. But it’s not for everyone. A favorite with European film students, Wings of Desire won’t appeal to the masses. But for those who have eyes to see, it’s a work of genius from German writer/director/photographer, Wim Wenders. He is a truly unique storyteller who uses characters and concepts repetitively throughout his films so that fans feel a connection from one story to the next. One movie is not enough. (Speaking of which, my one complaint about Wings... where is Mr. Winter?)
