On D List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Der Himmel über Berlin (1987)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
6/25
6/25:
Wim Wenders...now, that's a name that sends a chill down my spine.
I hate his works, and they are always super boring to watch. I wondered if his feature films did well at
the box office during the 20th century. After looking up the internet, the answer turns out to be a resounding
"no." They were barely shown in theatres anywhere in the United States. As a matter of fact, one has to be a
major cinéaste to have heard of Wim Wenders.
So, why did I go ahead with Der Himmel über Berlin aka Wings of Desire? Simple...it led to the
creation of City of Angels. Therefore, I wanted to compare both, and I now feel there's a good chance
the modern remake will survive the test quite easily when I see it next.
The screenplay...my goodness. According to IMDb, "Peter Falk called his role in Wings of Desire
'the craziest thing I was ever offered' but accepted after a phone call from director Wim Wenders." In fact,
there was no script to begin with! But to Peter Falk's credit, he has done a good job, eventually surprising
me by revealing what his character knew all along. Why? It's because he's Columbo!
Forget the rest of the film. The cinematography is a poor excuse to garner rave reviews. I could only watch it
for thirty minutes at a time with lots of mental breaks in between. Overall, it took me four days to complete
the film. Nothing literally happens. I admit the show got better in the final forty minutes but only barely.
All in all, whenever you see Wim Wenders' name as the director of some film, my advice to you is: Run! Run!
Don't ever look back!