Review of Wings of Desire (1987) by Nicholas C — 21 Oct 2018

"Wings of Desire" (1987) by Wim Wenders is what you get when you realize that art doesn't come with a recipe or instruction manual. It breaks so many rules of storytelling that if you tried to fill out a checklist of all of the features of a good story, you'd give up halfway through. Even so, this movie just works. Wim Wenders decided to make a film that thinks for itself, not bothering to follow some silly "conventions." It asks questions that it doesn't help you answer, forcing you to take it all in and think about what you are seeing. In "Wings of Desire" there is no direct exposition, it gives you the questions and shows the world upon which you should base your answer. This film makes you think about the path from question to answer on your own, no hand-holding.

The first two characters that we meet are angels: Cassiel and Damiel, played by Otto Sander and Bruno Gantz. We can often find these two walking and talking together, comparing the thoughts and events that they heard and saw that day. We follow him throughout the movie, taking his point of view as he goes about his celestial business.

The gimmick of this film is actually quite interesting: the angels can hear people's thoughts as if they were speaking, and can even interpret the signals of a radio tower. We hear the voices in the heads of normal people, but we don't ever hear the inner thoughts of the angels, specifically the thoughts of Damiel. That is our job, we are the angels of the angels. The only way they can interact with the real world is by comforting people in distress, be that considering suicide or dying of injuries or recalling awful memories of the past. Why do they do any of this? Maybe you can figure it out, but you won't get much help from the movie other than what is shown to you. The cinematography, done by the legendary Henri Alekan, is part of what makes this movie great. The camera moves through the scene as if unbound by gravity or the harsh motions of real world physics. When the camera is in black and white, which represents the viewpoint of the angels, the tone is neutral, you don't feel anything, just see it. Situations that might normally be suspenseful seem almost meaningless. It is when the film sparks into color that the film conveys a tone.

That feeling is what art should be judged by: how much a piece makes you think and feel is what gives it quality. This film is equivalent to a two hour trip to an art museum. There is no-one there who can tell you the exact meaning that the artist intended for the piece, no hand-holding, just you and the art. You have to connect what you see and what the characters say to figure out the subtle symbolisms. Just as you would explore a museum, "Wings of Desire" lets you take the story at your own pace, with the long, wordless scenes giving you time to reflect on what you are seeing.

The third important character to this story is Marion (Solveig Dommartin) a trapeze artist for a travelling circus. Marion is the weakest part of this film: her only role is to tempt Damiel to "take the plunge" into the real world of hate, pain, time, and death; and what or who tempts him ends up being inconsequential. The last half hour of the film seems like it wasn't really well refined, with character interactions that seem out of place and the ending monologue that doesn't do much more than finding out how long it takes to say "and they lived happily ever after.".

"Wings of Desire" is the perfect movie for the thinker. Heavy on visuals, light on words, the film lets your mind wander to wherever it pleases. It asks some questions about life, but it doesn't expect you to answer them, especially since it doesn't give you any clues to help you. The calm, soothing german voices do not intrude on your english thoughts, allowing you to read the subtitles at your own pace. You don't even need to think about the movie, which you can use to clear your mind for two hours. Overall, "Wings of Desire" is a solid eight out of ten. If you like long visits to the local art museum, this movie is for you. If you don't like films with at least one fight scene or a twist at the end, this is definitely not for you. Wim Wenders gives you everything outright, nothing is hidden to be revealed at the end, just a bunch of subtle symbolism.