'Wings of Desire' is a highly regarded Europen art film of the mid 1980's which is probably the reason you know the name Wim Wenders, that is if you know the name Wim Wenders. It is also the source material for the 1998 American film 'City of Angels'. ' Wings of Desire' has long been on my to watch list and I unexpectedly got a chance to see it last Thursday night for the podcast. Selected by my co-host 'Wings of Desire' was a revelation, a fantastic film that I waited too long to see.
Like its much infrior American remake 'Wings of Desire' is about an angel (Bruno Ganz) who falls in love with a human woman amd choses to become mortal to be with her. However this movie is much more then that, Ganz's translation to mortality not occurring until around 90 minutes into a 130 minute film.
Shot principly in black and white the film is an ode to the city and people of Berlin, where the film was set and shot late in the life of the Berlin Wall. Ganz and his fellow angels walk unseen through the gorgeously shot city. They can hear peoples thoughts and seek to help where they can, comforting the sick, seeking to dissuade by their touch the suicidal. Their ability to influence human kind is limited, they can not override agency, they can just hope to inspire. Mostly they watch, listen and record the thoughts and doings of their mortal counterparts.
This is a beautiful, reflective film with moments of humor, mostly provided by the actor Peter Falk playing a version of himself. It took around 15 minutes to get going for me but after that I was entranced. Seeing the American version does not quite prepare you for the singular accomplishment that is 'Wings of Desire', a film rightly regarded as one of the greats. ****
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