Saturday, May 14, 2011

Wings of Desire

Two angels sit atop of Berlin, where they take in the thoughts of the many walking below. They also walk among them, offering reassurance or maybe some kind of intangible presence. One of the angels expresses a desire to feel human emotions or even experience the basic human senses. When he meets a young trapeze artist, he decides to trade in eternity in order to spend the rest of his life with her. Wim Wenders ethereal film is a magnetic film experience, really unlike any other I've ever had. This isn't really a plot driven film, we just intake what the angels do, as we hear the ramblings of the the citizens of Berlin. In addition to meeting the angels and the circus girl, we also meet Peteir Falk playing himself as he is filming a Holocaust movie and discusses how he himself used to be an angel and can sense the presence around him. The film is gloriously shot as well, both in class black and white and beautiful color. The great German actor Bruno Ganz is wonderful as the angel Damiel who trades in his wings and walks the streets in a pimp suit with not a nickel in his pocket and a huge smile across his face. Wings of Desire is a true original that defies standard cinema and provides a truly unique film going experience.