For me, Wings of Desire was one of those rare films that comes along only ever so often and just completely impacts you on an entire host of different levels. In this case, the characters, emotions, themes and visuals are what really struck me as I watched the film. It might not be for everyone, as the movie is slow moving, often times told visually, and is ultimately personal, but for me it worked so well that I would go as far as saying it is a masterpiece of the 1980s.
The movies main character is a lonely angel who has dutifully wandered the earth since the dawn of time, watching over man, comforting him. But this angel, Damiel, is growing tired of this. He confides in a fellow angel who perhaps sympathizes with him, but truthfully Damiel really can't 'talk' to anyone. One day however, he comes across a beautiful acrobat, Marion, and he instantly falls in a painful love. Why painful? Because he is an angel and is invisible. She has no idea he exists, but he falls in love with her. He now has an uncontrollable urge to become mortal. To feel, to interact, to love. This is what Damiel deals with, and it is how the story initially unfolds - it really is an gracefully beautiful story, and one that really has not been done before.
Damiel is embodied by Bruno Ganz who delivers a brilliant performance as an angel, and I really felt close to him. I may not be an angel, but I was somehow able to understand this yearn to ‘exist’ and desire to be able to love. I know, I’ve never been an angel but somehow I really connected with this. Because of this, the film was very personal to me, and I was therefore very saddened by it. It is a tragic story, as if everything Damiel does is in vein. On that same note, the people the angels comfort are also very heartbreaking to see. As the angels comfort them, we hear the mortals thinking, in their heads, and their lives and troubles are recounted. Everyone seems to have distressing stories, and for a portion of the film I was very disheartened because it seemed like there was no hope for either humanity or Damiel. But then Damiel meets the acrobat… and that glimmer of hope shines through. Hope. Wings if Desire really was a very emotional film for me, and I hope it was for others as well.
But not only is Wings of Desire an intensely affecting and thematic movie, it is also a visual piece of brilliance. The predominantly black and white, but towards the end colour, cinematography really was breathtaking. The lighting is always incredibly beautiful, and the lonely shots of Berlin are stunning. The way the shots are setup and framed, and the way the camera glides as gracefully as an angel itself are just stunning and beautiful. The shot where the camera glides down the trapeze rope to the acrobat was incredible, as was the opening shot with Damiel on top a building with wings on his back. The cinematography is Wings of Desire really is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The photography is striking, poetic, and awe inspiring.
Looking back on Wings of Desire, I realize the film actually functioned as a silent film once did on many levels. The film is not only exceptionally visual, but it also tells the actual story with pictures for much of the time. Some scenes go on for extended periods of time without dialogue – they are simply told through the visuals, just as the silent films once work. And it works fantastically, because the end result was extraordinary. Wings was, and still is, a profound piece of filmmaking, on both an emotional and visual level. I found myself caring for and identifying with characters, as well as been very impacted by the gloomy surrounding atmosphere of post-war Berlin and the sadness which envelops it. Visually, it struck me hard as the cinematography is simply masterful, and the entire film oozes of visual intensity. I am not sure how much others will like or appreciate Wings of Desire because it is slow moving, and often times there really is just no dialogue at all. I guess the reason I loved it because it was very personal and special to me. It’s a unique gem. I hardly like any movies from the 80s at all, but Wings is an exquisite and beautiful diamond in a field of clunky ones. I’m glad I stumbled upon it, because I’ve since fallen in love with it.
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