Summary
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds -- with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk -- that it might be possible for him to take human form.
Cast
Bruno Ganz
Damiel
Solveig Dommartin
Marion
Otto Sander
Cassiel
Curt Bois
Homer
Peter Falk
The Filmstar
Hans Martin Stier
The Dying Man
Elmar Wilms
A Sad Man
Sigurd Rachman
The Suicide
Beatrice Manowski
Young Prostitute
Lajos Kovács
Marion's Coach
Bruno Rosaz
The Clown
Laurent Petitgand
The Bandleader
Chick Ortega
The Drummer
Otto Kuhnle
The Juggler
Christoph Merg
The Juggler
Peter Werner
The Manager
Teresa Harder
In the Library - The Angel
Jürgen Heinrich
In the Old Apartments
Annelinde Gerstl
On the Highway
Mick Harvey
Crime and The City Solution / Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave
Self - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Blixa Bargeld
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Susanne Vierkötter
In the Circus
Paul Busch
In the Circus
Karin Busch
In the Circus
Irene Moessinger
In the Circus
Franky
In the Circus - Last But Not Least
Daniela Nasimcova
In the Library - The Angel
Bernard Eisenschitz
In the Library - The Angel
Didier Flamand
In the Library - The Angel
Rolf Henke
In the Library - The Angel
Scott Kirby
In the Library - The Angel
Franck Glemin
In the Library - The Angel
Jerry Barrish
In the Bunker - The Director
Jeanette Pollak
In the Bunker - The Costume Designer
Christian Bartels
In the Bunker - The 'Hitler Youth'
David Crome
In the Bunker - The Assistant Director
Käthe Fürstenwerth
In the Bunker
Werner Schönrock
In the Bunker
Bernd Ramien
In the Bunker
Erika Rabau
In the Bunker
Silvia Blagojeva Itscherenska
In the Bunker
Sultan Meral
In the Bunker
Olivier Picot
In the Bunker
Jochen Gliscinsky
In the Bunker
Erich Schupke
In the Bunker
Margarete Hafner
In the Old Apartments
Oliver Herder
In the Old Apartments
Margitta Haberland
In the Old Apartments
Ralf Strathmann
In the Old Apartments
Walter Ratayszak
In the Old Apartments
Charlotte Oberberg
In the Old Apartments
Lubinka Kostic
In the Old Apartments
Gisela Westerboer
On the Highway
Andreas Valentin
On the Highway
Wolf-Dirk Vogeley
On the Highway
Ruth Rischke
On the Highway
Simon Bonney
Crime and The City Solution
Harry Howard
Crime and The City Solution
Rowland S. Howard
Crime and The City Solution
Thomas Wydler
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Roland Wolf
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Kid Congo Powers
Self
Denis Rodriguez
With the Children
Dieta von Aster
With the Children
Gustav Geisler
With the Children
Paul Geisler
With the Children
Lorenz Geisler
With the Children
Slađana Kostić
With the Children
Benedikt Schumann
With the Children
Nicolas Roth
With the Children
Marcus Stenzel
With the Children
Benjamin Ferchow
With the Children
Mario Meyer
With the Children
Mark Leuschner
With the Children
Tibor Dahlenburg
With the Children
Lia Harder
With the Children
Mascha Noak
With the Children
Vera Butzek
With the Children
Donald Behrendt
With the Children
Patric Kreuzer
Simone Säger
Gerdi Hofmann
Ulrike Schirm
Hans Marquardt
Heimke Karl
Klaus Mausolf
Özyer Hüsinye
Jean-Claude Lezin
Thierry Noir
Matthias Maaß
Henry Luczkow
Louis Cochet
Circus Spotlight Operator (uncredited)
Lina Otto
Girl in the Club (uncredited)
Johanna Penski
Flower Seller (uncredited)
Crew
Director, Screenplay
Wim Wenders
Screenplay
Peter Handke
Screenplay
Richard Reitinger
Screenplay
Bernard Eisenschitz
Reviews
Geronimo1967
December 25, 2022
7
Bruno Ganz is on top form in this characterful study of desire - physical and spiritual. He is "Daniel" an angel invisible to all but his own kind (and to the innocence of children) who finds himself, with his colleague "Cassiel" (Otto Sander) policing the city of Berlin at the end of the second world war. Needless to say, there are no shortages of claimants on their compassion and they do what they can to help assuage the difficulties faced by the desperate and the struggling. When he alights on circus trapeze artiste "Marion" (Solveig Dommartin) though, "Daniel" starts to have doubts. His entire raison d'être starts to become compromised as he realises that there are benefits to being mortal, and human, and that being in love is probably the greatest of these. Up until this moment, his life has been intangible and he determines that must change. It's risky though... There are no guarantees! It's a bit of a slow burn so don't expect a great deal to happen quickly. It is, however, quite a potent tale of realising priorities and dealing with demons - some more apparent than others - told in a gradually accumulating, effective and emotionally charged manner. It is not in the least sentimental but just as the angels observe their subjects, we are invited by Wim Wenders to do the same with them - and it's surprisingly effective to watch as some of the questions and challenges facing him could easily be applied to those in the audience. The monochrome photography is also striking and well authenticates the scenario of a desolate and despairing post war environment. Perhaps serendipity takes too big an hand at the end, but... you decide.
Media
Recommendations
Faraway, So Close!
The Million Dollar Hotel
Dead Ringers
Paris, Texas
Buena Vista Social Club
The Salt of the Earth
Kings of the Road
Crazy Desire
Jean de Florette
The American Friend
L'Eclisse
The Big Chill
A Christmas Tale
The Sand Pebbles
Black Widow
Wiener-Dog
Séraphine
Himizu
Through the Olive Trees
