Alice in den Städten (1974)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writers:

Wim Wenders (writer)
Veith von Fürstenberg (writer)

Release Date:

17 May 1974 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer's block when trying to write an article about the United States...

Plot Keywords:

Cities | Journalist | Travel | Germany | Hotel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Rüdiger Vogler	...	Philip 'Phil' Winter
Yella Rottländer	...	Alice
Lisa Kreuzer	...	Lisa - Alice's Mother (as Elisabeth Kreuzer)
Edda Köchl	...	Angela - Friend in New York
Ernest Boehm	...	Publisher
Sam Presti	...	Car Dealer
Lois Moran	...	Airport Hostess
Didi Petrikat	...	Friend in Frankfurt
Hans Hirschmüller	...	Police Officer
Sibylle Baier	...	The Woman

Also Known As:

Alice in the Cities (USA)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German | English | Dutch

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-3 | Singapore:PG | UK:U | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Schiphol, Haarlemmermeer, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

Filmverlag der Autoren

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Smoke on the Water

Wenders: In His Prime

http://eattheblinds.blogspot.com/

Between the years 1971 and 1977, Wim Wenders could do no wrong. Yet, even with his best films already on the screen, mainstream success eluded him until 1984, when his over- romanticized Paris, Texas (a fanboy-esquire ode to John Ford and the American landscape) established him as one of Cannes' most beloved filmmakers. Perhaps as a result of commercial success coming from his sappiest work to date, Wenders' chased a tangent that spiraled into career insignificance after 1993's Faraway, So Close! By the mid-late 90's, Wenders' films (documentaries excluded) became achingly pretentious and ripe for parody.

Back in his prime, 1974's Alice in the Cities / Alice in den Städten foreshadowed the near perfection to come in 1976's Kings of the Road / Im Lauf der Zeit. Overshadowed by KOTR, AITC has been overlooked, yet despite its smaller scale, budget and running time, it addresses many of the same themes common to Wenders' best films. The most prevalent of these recurring themes is: der angst (translated: Fear). All of Wenders characters are driven by a fate defined by either Kierkegaard and/or Heidegger's notion of what fear is. Wenders' Angst is the German equivalent of what Existentialism was to the French New Wave, powerful philosophical themes that would ultimately shape the direction of their respective cinematic movements.

If asked to recommend a series of films every fan of cinema should see, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest the films Wenders made between 71-77 (in addition to 1982's The State of Things / Der Stand der Dinge). In my mind these films are meditative, visually hypnotic and poignant essays that speak volumes on the human condition and of film-making itself. These films have inspired me tremendously and if you're a fan of Jim Jarmusch, discovering these films will feel like uncovering a hidden cache of his films. Jarmusch owes a great debt to Wenders both as an inspiration but also as a donor, since it was the short ends from State of Things that enabled Jarmusch to make his exceptional second feature Stranger Than Paradise. If you haven't already seen these films, make the effort...you will be happy you did: The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick /Alice in the Cities / Wrong Move / Kings of the Road / The American Friend.