Wings of Desire (1987)

98% of critics liked it
(42 reviews)
94% of users liked it
(31,422 ratings)

Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) are angels who watch over the city of Berlin. They don't have harps or wings (well, they usually don't have wings) and they prefer overcoats to gossamer gowns. But they can travel unseen through the city, listening to people's thoughts, watching their… More Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) are angels who watch over the city of Berlin. They don't have harps or wings (well, they usually don't have wings) and they prefer overcoats to gossamer gowns. But they can travel unseen through the city, listening to people's thoughts, watching their actions and studying their lives. While they can make their presence felt in small ways, only children and other angels can see them. They spend their days serenely observing, unable to interact with people, and they feel neither pain nor joy. One day, Damiel finds his way into a circus and sees Marion (Solveig Dommartin), a high-wire artist, practicing her act; he is immediately smitten. After the owners of the circus tell the company that the show is out of money and must disband, Marion sinks into a funk, shuffling back to her trailer to ponder what to do next. As he watches her, Damiel makes a decision: he wants to be human, and he wants to be with Marion, to lift her spirits and, if need be, to share her pain. Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire is a remarkable modern fairy tale about the nature of being alive. The angels witness the gamut of human emotions, and they experience the luxury of simple pleasures (even a cup of coffee and a cigarette) as ones who've never known them. From the angels' viewpoint, Berlin is seen in gorgeous black-and-white -- strikingly beautiful but unreal; when they join the humans, the image shifts to rough but natural-looking color, and the waltz-like grace of the angels' drift through the city changes to a harsher rhythm. Peter Falk appears as himself, revealing a secret that we may not have known about the man who played Columbo, and there's also a brief but powerful appearance by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Wings of Desire hinges on the intangible and elusive, and it builds something beautiful from those qualities. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Wim Wenders
Written By: Wim Wenders, Peter Handke
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: May 17, 1987 Wide
On DVD: Jul 1, 2003

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Wings of Desire is one of Wenders's most stunning achievements.
Douglas Pratt, Hollywood Reporter
One of the few truly great movies to come out of the '80s.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Startlingly original at first, Wings of Desire is in the end damagingly overloaded.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The film evokes a mood of reverie, elegy and meditation.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Underneath its melancholia and mind-boggling, even bothersome metaphysics, it's the simplest (well, almost) story ever told -- angel meets girl, angel gets girl.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
a soaring vision that appeals to the senses and the spirit
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
How brilliant is Wings of Desire? Understand that Peter Falk is playing himself - that is to say, he's playing actor Peter Falk, who happened to be an angel himself until he elected to become human decades earlier.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Demands to be seen by cinema lovers.
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The cinematography by Henri Alekan is simply astonishing in its spare yet lyrical quality.
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm
How much Eurobabble are you willing to endure in exchange for a look at one of the cinema's most ravishing and compassionate screen visions?
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a film of sheer visual poetry and deep emotional resonance
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
Even for non-fanatics, this packaging of perhaps the most beloved European film of a generation is heaven-sent.
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
It's hard to think of another movie of its era that makes the viewer so fully feel like a denizen of its setting; the roving, dollying, craning camera makes angels of us all.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
A gorgeous and heartbreaking look at angels in Berlin.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Few films are so rich, so intriguing, or so ambitious.
Clint Morris, Film Threat
A unique and enriching film. A film worth spending time getting to know.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Depending on your tastes, you'll find the film either a beautiful, moving experience, or a slow and pretentious one.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
Wings of Desire enthralls me, and it sends me back to my life a richer person, glad to be alive, looking about at the mundane and the everyday with new appreciation.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Chris W

Daniel and Cassiel are two angels who are assigned to watch over the city of Berlin. It is their job to monitor people and take note of all that occurs, and to help out those in need. Daniel (Bruno Ganz) eventually grows tired of this, and decides to give up immortality to become… More
Daniel and Cassiel are two angels who are assigned to watch over the city of Berlin. It is their job to monitor people and take note of all that occurs, and to help out those in need. Daniel (Bruno Ganz) eventually grows tired of this, and decides to give up immortality to become human so that, no only can he experience life to the fullest, but just life in general, including finding love with a profoundly lonely trapeze artist. Hollywood bastardized this film as City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, but even then, that doesn't take away from the fact that this is one of the most beautiful, poetic, and profoundly moving films ever made. It is, basically, Wim Wenders's masterpiece. It is a heavy film, with lots of spiritual and philosophical subtext, but despite being an art film, this deals with things that everyone can relate to, mostly, just trying to escape from an isolated life and make meaningful connections with others. The film is heavily stylized, using both criso momochromatic black and white and bright colors to represent the angelic and human worlds, respectively. The fact that it was also shot in Berlin while the Wall was still up also reinforces the divide between the humans and angels, and it is interesting to see the city from this perspective. My only real complaint is that the film is kinda slow, and maybe a bit ponderous here and there, but overall, this is just a marvelous film, and I'm glad I finally saw it because I really feel like it truly is one of the best films ever made.
Anthony L

My only criticism of Wings of Desire is that it has people playing themselves. It's a pet hate of mine but I'm really not too bothered as I love Peter Falk and I'm a big Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Crime and the city solution fan. I also love Berlin and so I think… More
My only criticism of Wings of Desire is that it has people playing themselves. It's a pet hate of mine but I'm really not too bothered as I love Peter Falk and I'm a big Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Crime and the city solution fan. I also love Berlin and so I think I was always going to love this film, although, I certainly don't always love Wim Wenders films. For me, he is either great or terrible, this is great though - probably my favourite of his although it is neck and neck with Paris, Texas. Every element of this film is sublime, the script, the imagery - I loved the way it was splashed with colour as the main character got closer to his dream of reality and feeling. This is some an awesome film and so beautifully filmed - a love letter to love almost!
Dan S

A beautiful, haunting, atmospheric drama concerning two angels (Bruno Ganz and Otto Sandler) who wander amongst the streets of Berlin undetected, and how one of them (Ganz) falls in love with a trapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin) and starts to ponder about the opportunity of becoming… More
A beautiful, haunting, atmospheric drama concerning two angels (Bruno Ganz and Otto Sandler) who wander amongst the streets of Berlin undetected, and how one of them (Ganz) falls in love with a trapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin) and starts to ponder about the opportunity of becoming human in order to be with her. This is simply a stunning piece of work by director Wim Wenders, as he creates a movie so full of life and mystery but is also able to show the flip-side of these moments of excitement by setting it in the bleak, depressed city of Berlin (with the Wall still standing - another layer of dread and sadness added in to the equation). While it is part social commentary on the state of Germany after WW2, it's actually more important a love story, and one that has a lot of weight to it surprisingly. Peter Falk's character is also a rarity - and the man nails it. While the movie really gets interesting in the last half hour, it is still intriguing during its first hour and thirty minutes, as Wenders seamlessly goes between a black-and-white scope with brief instances of color. A definite must-see just for the sheer atmosphere this movie possesses alone. Without question one of the best dramas ever created, with dialogue so rich it is impossible not to be in awe of it.
Stella D

actor peter falk died yesterday, aged 83. in this magical film he plays himself. one thing many fans don't know is that the sketches made by his character in the film were also his own. a genius talent mostly remembered for his role as a rumpled detective: rip lt.columbo… More
actor peter falk died yesterday, aged 83. in this magical film he plays himself. one thing many fans don't know is that the sketches made by his character in the film were also his own. a genius talent mostly remembered for his role as a rumpled detective: rip lt.columbo :'(
Daniel M

In my review of The Lovely Bones, I wrote about the difficulties associated with depicting the afterlife on screen. The select group of films which manage to pull it off take one of two approaches: either they approach the subject in a manner which is fantastical but fleeting, or they… More
In my review of The Lovely Bones, I wrote about the difficulties associated with depicting the afterlife on screen. The select group of films which manage to pull it off take one of two approaches: either they approach the subject in a manner which is fantastical but fleeting, or they characterise the next world as mundanely similar to the one we inhabit now. In Wings of Desire Wim Wenders gives us the best of both worlds, resulting on one of the most touching and moving films of the 1980s. Although he only began making documentaries late of his career, Wenders' approach to filmmaking is rooted in key aspects of the documentary tradition. He has the same attitude to people as Lindsay Anderson or Krzysztof Kieslowski: in depicting and recording their actions, he is completely understated and entirely respectful of people as they are. There is a further similarity to the British New Wave in his impressionistic use of voiceover. Not everything that is spoken is subtitled or attributed to a given individual, as in Anderson's short film Every Day Except Christmas, which looks at Covent Garden flower market. As with the British New Wave, or more recently Terence Davies, Wings of Desire is a film which understands the level of gravitas which can be achieved through shooting in black-and-white. The film is shot by Henri Alekan, who also shot Jean Cocteau's La Belle et La Bête. There is none of the mystical manipulation of shadows from that film, but the film picks up on every wrinkle and slight smile on the actors' faces. The evocative and deeply elegiac visuals were achieved by rather unusual methods; Alekan draped an antique silk stocking over the camera to act as a peculiar filter. The central idea of Wings of Desire is that of angels wanting to be human. Damiel, played beautifully by Bruno Ganz, spends the film yearning to experience mortality - not as a path towards death, but as the physical sensation of being. He has long speeches in which he lists actions which seem trivial or odd to us as if they were the most valuable commodities in the universe. His love and affection for humanity is matched only by his desire to understand it, and becoming human is a way of manifesting or achieving both. In this intriguing premise, Wings of Desire takes a very interesting position on spirituality. In the first instance, it inverts or subverts people's impressions of heaven. The traditional worldview, upheld by much of Christianity, is that life is full of hardship and suffering, but when we get to heaven all such suffering will be allayed and we will understand what life was all about. But in the black-and-white world which they inhabit, it is the angels who are suffering or cursed, as they stand frustrated by their shadowy essence and perplexed as they attempt to unravel human existence. The people, meanwhile, while not permanently ecstatic or without worry, are more or less content within themselves. They have contentment even if they cannot explain or vocalise it - or if, in the case of the trapeze artist, contentment is to be found in loneliness. Following in the tradition of A Matter of Life and Death, Wenders shoots the scenes involving the angels in black-and-white while keeping the rest of the world in colour. In a subversion of 1 Corinthians, the angels' view of life is like a "poor reflection" of what life really is, and their striving towards reality is played out on one level like a detective story. Early on there is a scene of Damiel and Cassiel sitting in a car swapping notes like detectives on a stakeout. They invoke Philip Marlowe (Raymond Chandler's protagonist) and list random observations which seem completely unconnected, like clues in a case which seems impossible to solve. There is a further echo of this in the role of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Near the beginning of the film the trapeze artist plays an LP of 'The Carny', which is followed by a performance in black-and-white by fictional band Crime and the City, whose singer writhes around like a young Nick Cave. Towards the end, the Bad Seeds themselves turn up in colour with Nick Cave singing in full voice. Guitarist Mick Harvey appears in both line-ups, reinforcing the theme of poor reflections. In an unusual blend of Christianity and humanism, we hear reality at the expense of seeing it, then we see the imitation as seen by the angels, and when Damiel is made human, we arrive at reality with all of our senses. A related aspect of the relationship between the earthly and the ethereal is found in Peter Falk's character, an actor playing an investigator in the film-within-a-film. Aside from his improvised conversations on the movie set, and his various 'private' thoughts about the part, Falk gets a couple of scenes at diners where Bruno Ganz is in attendance. On both occasions Falk uses the line, "I can't see you but I know you're there", and Ganz gives a slight, welcoming smile. There are three possible interpretations of these scenes. The first is that it is all coincidence; Falk is simply rehearsing a line and Ganz just happened to be there and think he was referring to him, as when someone remarks about seeing an angel at the circus. The second is that he really can see Ganz and is 'in on the joke', being a former angel himself: we don't know enough about him to rule this out, but there's not much evidence for this either. The third, and most poignant, is that Falk isn't sure whether or not someone is there - but he wants there to be; the possibility reassures him and brings a sense of peace. This last point hints to the second spiritual dimension of Wings of Desire, namely the role of angels and whether or not God actively intervenes in humanity. Instead of being active agents of God, the angels are there as observers to document humanity - hence why so much of their time is spend in libraries, soaking up the wisdom which Men have accumulated. They cannot stop death or heal the sick, and their actions do not always lead to positive outcomes. When Cassiel lays his hands on a man, the man's next action is to jump off a ledge, and both he and Damiel are tormented at being able to hear people's thoughts and do nothing to change them. But as with Falk's character, the people in Wings of Desire ultimately find solace in the knowledge that there are forces watching over them. There is a recurring image of the angels placing hands on people - not to heal or comfort, but just to acknowledge the person's presence and that they matter in the eyes of God. Even if the Almighty isn't constantly making Himself known, His presence is a force which sustains us - it makes us feel good to be alive, even if we cannot explain why. The romance between Damiel and Marion is a beautiful counterpoint which ties all these elements together. There is the mutual irony of their predicaments: one is an angel who longs for earth, the other a performer whose profession sends her heavenward but for whom heaven is always out of reach. The scene where they meet in the bar and fall in love finds the two players meeting in the middle and sharing both worlds in a love that will last beyond the boundaries of this life. The dialogue, although rambling, has a real poetry to it which brings a sense of grandeur to what could be a very trite encounter. Wings of Desire is a beautiful, profound and deeply affecting film which remains one of the best films of the 1980s and a high point in Wenders' career. It is too long, with a very rambling structure, and the dialogue can sometimes be too artsy-fartsy for its own good. But those are miniscule flaws which are easily overlooked, in view of what remains an overwhelming experience.
Reid V

A deeply personal and exhaustive rumination on what it means to be human. While this idea would be lifted for the American disaster City of Angels, this film actually has something to offer the viewer besides the satisfaction of seeing Meg Ryan get plowed by a semi. Not only does… More
A deeply personal and exhaustive rumination on what it means to be human. While this idea would be lifted for the American disaster City of Angels, this film actually has something to offer the viewer besides the satisfaction of seeing Meg Ryan get plowed by a semi. Not only does Wender's camera gorgeously glide around the city and the people who inhabit it in a manner that gives the viewer their own celestial insight into our world, he also builds a sort of human poetry by layering the inner monologues of the German people. Bruno Ganz is excellent as usual as an angel who just longs to feel even though he understands the anguish that comes along with being human. The film is also an important historical source. As Ganz paces around the viewer gets a glimpse of a Berlin divided. Not only is it still reeling from the Second World War and subsequent Cold War, we get to see shots of the Berlin wall. Wender even risked getting footage of East Berlin which he had to do from inside his van a la Alfred Hitchcock. Due to it's meager pace, I do not believe that it is a film I will revisit frequently. However, this film has a lot to offer and is a great piece of German cinema.
danny d

as much a cinematic poem as a story, the film was masterfully shot and the mental monologues were beautiful. ganz and falk were especially good in their roles, and to see the mastery of this film and the futility of the american remake is further evidence that people need to see this… More
as much a cinematic poem as a story, the film was masterfully shot and the mental monologues were beautiful. ganz and falk were especially good in their roles, and to see the mastery of this film and the futility of the american remake is further evidence that people need to see this amazing movie.
Sophie B

Interesting plot line but it seems to dwardle along with no care in the world. By the end I did feel for Damiel and wanted him to be happy. The scene with Marion and Damiel near the end is simply mesmirising. One of the best scenes I have seen in a long time. Their passion and desire… More
Interesting plot line but it seems to dwardle along with no care in the world. By the end I did feel for Damiel and wanted him to be happy. The scene with Marion and Damiel near the end is simply mesmirising. One of the best scenes I have seen in a long time. Their passion and desire can truely be seen. It's difficult to watch but worth it in the end.
Pierluigi P

A bit redundant, but visually enthralling.
AJ V

This is just a fantastically beautiful film about angels and humans and life and death and love. The story is unique and awe inspiring, but you also get a bit of humour from Peter Falk, which is so cool. Plus, you get a performance from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I loved this… More
This is just a fantastically beautiful film about angels and humans and life and death and love. The story is unique and awe inspiring, but you also get a bit of humour from Peter Falk, which is so cool. Plus, you get a performance from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I loved this movie, and I highly recommend it.
E.J. B

Not so much a movie as it is a visual experience. It takes a director with real talent to create real emotions without having to use dialogue. Wim Wenders is that talent.
vieras e

So ein wunderschönes Film!
Christopher M

The story of an angel who gives up his immorality for the love of a human woman. This is a remarkable German film - shot mostly in a beautiful, crisp sepia tone, with splashes of full colour throughout, this film is utterly profound and a must-see. The direction is brilliant, so many… More
The story of an angel who gives up his immorality for the love of a human woman. This is a remarkable German film - shot mostly in a beautiful, crisp sepia tone, with splashes of full colour throughout, this film is utterly profound and a must-see. The direction is brilliant, so many interesting shots and so well, written, too. Having Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in there at the end was a very cool, pleasant touch to the whole affair, too.
Lanning :

Having just recently seen Bruno Ganz in Downfall (Der Untergang) where his Adolf Hitler is stunning, I was amazed to see him here playing a very gentle, soft-spoken angel. I think it fair to say that the roles could not be more different. This man has range. A… More
Having just recently seen Bruno Ganz in Downfall (Der Untergang) where his Adolf Hitler is stunning, I was amazed to see him here playing a very gentle, soft-spoken angel. I think it fair to say that the roles could not be more different. This man has range. A very different story than the last days in the life of the 20th-century's most infamous maniac and mass-murderer, WIngs of Desore tells the tale of the angels who walk among us, watching over us, guiding us, and generally looking observing the everyday life of the living. This story is not new, but I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of angels. At several points it almost felt as if each of us might actually have a guardian angel, they appeared so abundant -- I think mine is very much like the Clarence of It's a Wonderful Life. And as you might or might not be surprised to discover, not all angels are thrilled with the reality of living forever, unable to participate in the aspects of human existence that they find appealing. Love, for instance, is a big problem for an angel who suddenly finds a human woman with whom he wishes to fall in love. Happily, however, if you wish hard enough for something, it may actually come to be, and Ganz wants so badly to experience human love with Solveig Dommartin as Marion -- and I can't say I blame him -- that he becomes mortal. Luckily for him, she feels the same way when she meets him, and we assume that they live happily ever after -- until, of course, death do them part, neither one being immortal now. Okay, so this is a very nice story. The best thing about Wings of Desire, however, is Peter Falk. Falk plays himself; he is on location in Berlin shooting a movie. The Columbo jokes are good as various citizens recognize him on the street, but you slowly come to realize that, besides all the very young children who are somehow aware of the angels walking amongst us, Falk too is aware of their presence. He finally actually speaks to Ganz, even though he cannot see Ganz. In the most amazing turn of the film -- and yes this is a major spoiler -- my apologies -- Ganz realizes that Falk was once an angel himself. Like Ganz, he too came to the realization that he wanted to be a human being, and his wish was fulfilled. It's a wonderful twist, and something I'm still smiling about when it comes to mind. Peter Falk, a former angel. I love that.
Cindy I

A moving film about why it's wonderful to be human. Bruno Ganz plays an angel in Berlin who falls in love with a trapeze artist and wants to become human to be with her. If this doesn't make you appreciate life in a whole new way, there's no hope for you. Remade as City… More
A moving film about why it's wonderful to be human. Bruno Ganz plays an angel in Berlin who falls in love with a trapeze artist and wants to become human to be with her. If this doesn't make you appreciate life in a whole new way, there's no hope for you. Remade as City of Angels with Nic Cage and Meg Ryan, but see this one first.
Chris B

A truly amazing piece of cinema.
Alec B

Its optimistic and inspiring without being cheesy. The way it observes the tiniest elements of human nature is beautiful. Wender's depiction of Angels is really fascinating. I think the film goes on for too long to be a real masterpiece, but its such a interesting concept that it… More
Its optimistic and inspiring without being cheesy. The way it observes the tiniest elements of human nature is beautiful. Wender's depiction of Angels is really fascinating. I think the film goes on for too long to be a real masterpiece, but its such a interesting concept that it manages to carry you to the end.
Joey N

Alternately lyrical and boring. MIXED FEELINGS.
Kyle S

A Masterpiece.
Lord N

This one is also a bit late. It is the winning Pulp Fiction briefcase answer for Mr. Hulot Acting/characters: I enjoyed the acting very much. I liked Bruno Ganz as the main character and he was excellent. I did feel that as good as Ganz was, Peter Falk (playing himself) was the… More
This one is also a bit late. It is the winning Pulp Fiction briefcase answer for Mr. Hulot Acting/characters: I enjoyed the acting very much. I liked Bruno Ganz as the main character and he was excellent. I did feel that as good as Ganz was, Peter Falk (playing himself) was the scene-stealer. He just took total control of every scene he was in. I found the rest of the cast a little more forgettable but they weren't in it a terrible amount so I suppose that is forgivable. They did a good job and everything they were just...forgettable. But really it was Ganz's movie and Peter Falk just naturally commands every scene he is in. They played a big role in keeping my interest throughout the film. A film like this can be incredibly boring if not handled right but their performances played a big part in making the film interesting. 9/10 Plot: Unless there is some mythology that I missed somewhere, this plot is pretty original. I haven't seen it anywhere before. I don't delve into plot details usually so I won't say more about the actual events of the movie itself. It was always very interesting but it was a bit hard to follow at the beginning. it got easier to follow once you got used to what kind of film it was. I was rarely bored something I appreciate in a film like this. it took some interesting turns too which I liked. It was very well constructed. 9/10 Screenplay: It was pretty good. It was mostly in German but there were bits here and there that were in English (anything with Peter Falk) but not being a German speaker this section is a bit hard to review. From what I gathered overall from the subtitles it was a very well written film. it wasn't the most prominent part of the film but still enjoyable. I feel that they preferred to let what you were seeing speak for what was going on as opposed to what they were saying. That is something that can be dangerous but I feel that they pulled it off well. 9/10 Likableness: Films with the kind of tone that this film has don't keep my interest as well as this one did. It had excellent visuals, a great plot capped off with great performances. My one big problem with this is that it was a bit too long and by the end I was beginning to feel the length. It wasn't so long that I felt myself looking at my watch every few seconds hoping it would be over soon but they could have definitely shortened it. But I am not upset that Mr. Hulot wanted me to watch this one. I enjoyed it very much and it is a film that I would highly suggest if you like films like this one. it was really good. 9/10 Final Score: 36/40 90% (N) Tomatometer rating: 98% Tomatometer rating if my review was added: 98% TRIVIA TIME: 1. Circus Alekan is named after cinematographer Henri Alekan. 2. The scene where Otto Sander is shown riding a bus looking morose, with his head in his hands, was shot that way because the actor had developed a large bald spot on the day of shooting and makeup couldn't hide it. 3. Filming the actual Berlin Wall was prohibited, so a replica of the wall twice had to be built close to the original. The first fake wall warped in the rain because the contractor cheated the producers and built it from wood.