Wings of Desire

Wings of Desire (1988), directed by Wim Wenders

Wings of Desire seems to have no plot at all for the first ninety minutes. It is a series of scenes portraying angels in Berlin, with the camera seemingly as omniscient, and capable of the same movements as the angels. Unlike the angels of the American cinematic tradition (Henry Travers in It's A Wonderful Life, these angels are creatures who are godlike, if somewhat fey.

This film is the story of one angel in particular, Samiel, played by Bruno Ganz. While angels can see all and know all, they are unable to comprehend the sensual perceptions of man. Samiel wants to feel, and particularly to love a woman (Solveig Dommartin) he has seen.

Meanwhile, actor Peter Falk (playing himself) is making a movie about World War II in Berlin. He feels a certain emptiness in his life, which he tries to compensate for by talking walks...and talking to the angels. Can he see the angels? We aren't sure.

There are many little "mini-dramas" going on meanwhile. An old man (Curt Bois) bemoans the fate of the story-teller. A young man commits suicide. Angels accompany everyone, some of them seemingly content with their lot (Otto Sander). Samiel, however, chooses to become human, learning to feel, learning all the sensual delights.

This is not a conventionally entertaining film. Sure, it's a foreign film (with dialogue in German, French, and English), but some films are more foreign than others. It's difficult to recognize the narrative thrust of the film until well into it. Be patient.

As a former resident of Berlin, I must say that this film gives a wonderful portrait of that great city. While some films show you the tourist attractions to be found in a city (James Bond movies, for instance), this film gives you a feeling of what Berlin is really like. I highly recommend it for discriminating viewers.