New Books Network Wings of Desire
Dec 8, 2025
In this discussion, the hosts delve into the ethereal world of a 1987 classic film. They explore the role of angels as mere observers, highlighting how their presence shapes the narrative without intervention. The conversation shifts to the film's impressionistic style, likening it to a painting that lingers in the viewer's mind. Key scenes reveal a profound take on humanity, with small pleasures like coffee becoming sacred. Ultimately, they ponder the delicate balance between material experience and spiritual life, suggesting that love and amazement can lead to redemption.
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Cinema As Divine Recording
- Wings of Desire privileges images over plot, creating lingering impressions rather than narrative momentum.
- The film treats the camera as a divine recording angel that compresses human experience into lasting moments.
Angels As Observant Outsiders
- Angels in the film are powerless observers whose task is to watch and record human life, not intervene.
- Their constant wearing of coats signals they are not at home in the material world and must remain distant.
Berlin As Purgatorial Landscape
- Berlin functions like purgatory: people are solitary, looking up at planes and yearning to escape their stuckness.
- The film links wonder and amazement to freedom from that purgatorial state.