Review of Wings of Desire (1987) by Ryanszyper — 28 Oct 2018

This 1988 foreign film directed by Wim Wenders gives a unique film experience. Unlike most films where a plot is explained and handed to you, “Wings of Desire” does not outright tell you what is happening.

We discover the plot of the film through dialogue and visual cues. The main story follows Damiel an angel who watches over the people of Berlin, Germany. Through playful camera work, that consists of hard cuts and sweeping tracking shots that switch depending who is on the screen, the movie takes us throughout the city as the angel listens to the thoughts of people.

These internal monologues offer beautiful scenes where we see characters raw emotions while listening to their inner thoughts. The visual imagery ranges from angel wings, to color changes, and wardrobe design.

The color of the movie switches from black and white to color. This gives us the visual representation on how the angels and humans perceive the world. In the opening shot we are greeted by Damiel perched on a roof and his wings are present for a second allowing us to see he is an angel.

The costume design for the movie chose to portray the angels sporting trench coats with pony tails. Having them stand out for us to understand that they are different from the rest of the world. These are just a few examples of how the movie uses tools to carry the movie.

This creativity makes this more of an experience that allow the viewers to come up with the answers and gives incentive to watch the movie more than once.