Wings of Desire

Only 3 years after the unforgettable "Paris, Texas" (1984), Wim Wenders presented us with another masterpiece: "Wings of Desire" (or "The Sky Above Berlin" in the original German title), a mesmerizing film about the joy of life, partially inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's (1875-1926) poetry.

The story of the angel Damiel (the excellent Bruno Ganz, who'd play Adolf Hitler 17 years later in the Oscar-nominated "Downfall"), who falls in love with a mortal circus acrobat, Marion (Solveig Dommartin, Wenders's then-girlfriend, who died last January) and wishes to become human is told by breathtaking images (cinematographer Henri Alekan's courtesy - he worked on Cocteau's "La Belle et la Bête") - the angels see in black and white, humans see in colors; philosophical, analytical observations about human life (and death); scenes of beauty in the simplest things in a masterful way that never becomes corny or boring. More than a film director, Wim Wenders is a film poet; his films are fabulous intersections of image and sound (dialogue, music) crafted in a way that only some other masters achieved.

"Dedicated to all the former angels, but especially to Yasujiro, François and Andrej", "Wings of Desire" is a gorgeous celebration of life who should be seen by people aged 8 to 80. My vote: 10/10.

P.S.: Avoid at all costs the ridiculous Hollywood remake, "City of Angels" (1998), with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan.