Wings of desire [videorecording] / Janus Films ; produced by Road Movies, Berlin and Argos Films, Paris ; produced by Wim Wenders and Anatole Dauman ; written by Wim Wenders together with Peter Handke ; director, Wim Wenders.
Material type:
FilmPublisher number: CC1831D | Criterion CollectionLanguage: German, English, French Subtitle language: English Series: Criterion collection (DVD videodiscs) ; 490.Publication details: [Irvington, N.Y.] : Criterion Collection, c2009.Edition: Special edDescription: 2 videodiscs (127 min.) : sd., col. and b&w ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet (27 p.)ISBN: - 1604651601
- 9781604651607
- Added container title: Himmel über Berlin
- Himmel über Berlin (Motion picture).
- Director of photography, Henri Alekan ; editor, Peter Pryzgodda ; music, Jürgen Knieper ; art director, Heidi Lüdi ; DVD producer, Susan Arosteguy.
- Best Director, Festival de Cannes.
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult DVD
|
Main Library | DVD | WORLD Himmel u | Available | 33111007384171 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
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
"A German-French coproduction between Road Movies GmbH, Berlin and Argos Films S.A., Paris, together with Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Köln."
Originally released as a German-French motion picture in 1987.
Some credits from booklet; series numbering from container spine.
Special features: Disc one. audio commentary featuring Wenders and actor Peter Falk; trailers; Disc two. "The angels among us" (2003) documentary; "Wim Wenders Berlin Jan. 87," from an episode of the French television program Cinéma cinémas, including on-set footage; interview with director of photography Henri Alekan; deleted scenes and outtakes; excerpts from the film "Alekan la lumière" (1985) and Ganz and Sander's "Remembrance: film for Curt Bois" (1982); notes and photos by art directors Heidi and Toni Lüdi; booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Atkinson and writings by Handke and Wenders.
disc 1. Feature film -- disc 2. Special features.
Director of photography, Henri Alekan ; editor, Peter Pryzgodda ; music, Jürgen Knieper ; art director, Heidi Lüdi ; DVD producer, Susan Arosteguy.
Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Curt Bois, Peter Falk.
A romantic fantasy about an angel who wishes he were mortal and is willing to fall from the sky if it means a chance to fall in love. Set in modern day Berlin, the film follows angel Damiel's path from heavenly flight to earthly delight in a manner that's comical, touching and entertaining.
DVD, NTSC, widescreen, 1.66:1 aspect ratio (16:9 enhanced); Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo.
In German with some English and French dialogue, with optional English subtitles; credits in English.
Best Director, Festival de Cannes.