"Without dreams, there can be no courage."
- Wim Wenders. In the 1960s, a new generation of filmmakers, including names like Wim Wenders, Alexander Kludge and Harun Farocki, propelled an artistic movement denominated "New German Cinema" that later on would be known for its "formal and stylistic inventions" (Flinn, 2003, p.2). This group of directors wanted their cinematographic creations to pursue "a "new realism" that meant to educate the spectator and to demonstrate the viability of a thesis since (...) spectators were asked to approve or disapprove of the reality represented on the screen" (Cook & Gemünden, 1997, p.14). Ernest "Wim" Wenders was born in Düsseldorf, a province of Germany, on the 14th of August of 1945. Throughout the years, Wim Wenders had numerous jobs in the cultural industry such as dramatist, screenwriter and photographer. Nevertheless, his biggest creative impact was as a filmmaker. Among multiple honors, one of Wender's earliest awards recognition was winning the Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award for Wings of Desire. The film Wings of Desire tells the story of an ethereal angel, Damiel, who wishes to abandon his mission of comforting the thoughts of the sorrowful human beings. His longing is driven by his desire to become human and get the opportunity to experience life alongside the mortal he has fell in love with.
Figure Nº.1 - Wings Of Desire - The film's promotional poster.
Roger Cook and Gerd Gemünden propose in their academic research that "New German Cinema" isn't focused on Germany since it reveals a cinema that "had lost the connection to its roots, positioning the New German directors in a cinematic no-man's land" (Cook & Gemünden, 1997, p.17) however, this film reflects the exact opposite.
Figure Nº.2 - Wings of Desire - Damion sitting on an iconic German statue, the Berlin Victory Column.
In Wings of Desire, Wenders attempts to create a morally complex universe focused on showcasing a defeated Germany attempting to heal after the tragedies of war since the film is an "experiment in perception - a documentary of Berlin, a way of seeing the divided city as a pastiche of individual lives, whose murmurs and acts of despair constitute a painful vision of modernity" (Beicken & Kolker, 1993, p.138).
Figure Nº.2 - Wings of Desire - The portrait of a vanquished Germany.
The angels are, arguably, the most important characters in this film and their "chief function is to calm savaged emotions and save despairing lives. They have a perceptual access to everyone's subconscious, (...) moving as if through air and recording a stream of consciousness monologues of the city's inhabitants. The angels, like an ideal cinema, can intervene to clear a troubled consciousness and give structure to disordered perception" (Beicken & Kolker, 1993, p.142). In the scene presented in the following clip, Damion comforts a man forgotten by its own country. In their telepathic conversation, he reminds the injured man of the beautiful things in life such as the veins of leaves, the morning light and a children's eyes.
Clip Nº.1 - Wings of Desire - Damion comforting the injured man.
If the link doesn't work, click here.
Before concluding, the metaphysical language of romance presented in the film allows for the characters - and eventually, Germany - to evolve into a new stage and that is clear throughout Marion and Damion's story. "The desire of the angelic mediator to change his status and emerge with both sexuality and compassion results in a kind of self-absorption that threatens to become a travesty of (...) the material reality of culture" (Beicken & Kolker, 1993, p.152). However, this is delicately balanced by Wenders' choice of keeping Cassiel as a a protecting angel ignoring the temptations of the ephemeral physical world since he "remains in black and white throughout the film, ending as a monochrome insert in the background of Damien's multicolored romance" (Beicken & Kolker, 1993, p.152).
Figure Nº.3 - Wings of Desire - Marion, the iconographic representation of the physical world's temptations.
Clip Nº.2 - Wings of Desire - The representation of a new balanced future.
If the link doesn't work, click here. In summary, Wim Wenders' motion picture Wings of Desire proves that the artistic movement, the "New German Cinema", is focused on Germany due to its determination to search for multiple ways to give the country's past a meaning so that it can, finally, move forward into a more hopeful phase. Word Count: 484 words (excluding citations and references). Reference List: - Beicken, P. U. & Kolker, R. P. (1993). The Films of Wim Wenders : Cinema as Vision and Desire. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2W2rFpg. - Cook, R. F., & Gemünden, G. (1997). The Cinema of Wim Wenders : Image, Narrative, and the Postmodern Condition. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. Retreived from https://bit.ly/2YvV0FT. - Dauman, A. (Producer), & Wenders, W. (Director). (1987). Wings of Desire [Motion Picture]. Germany: Argos Films. - Flinn, C. (2004). The New German Cinema: Music, History and the Matter of Style. [Electronic Resource]. Berkeley : University of California Press. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2Q7pKu3. Peer Review: The blog I believe is the best according to the marking criteria (subject content, presentation, tone, research and formalities) is the one belonging to the student UP913436. This blog reveals a clear understanding of the chosen topics by the use off clear arguments in all the posts. These arguments are well accompanied by essential audiovisual material and carefully selected references to support the points made. The language used in the arguments meets the standards required for an academic coursework, with little to none grammatical mistakes. Throughout time, there is a clear evolution of the blog's overall content revealing that the student listened to the lecturer's notes such as incorporating material that would improve the reader's experience (like hyperlinks).
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