:
Dennis Hopper,
Udo Kier,
Jean-Luc Godard,
more...
:
Nicholas Ray,
Wim Wenders,
Wim Wenders
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Anchor Bay
: Documentary, Foreign, Biographies, Germany, Film, Quirky Characters, Quest, Road Movies, France, Drama, Costume Drama/Period Piece, Spain, Japan, Travel, Biopics
: English, German
see additional details...
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Lightning Over Water (1980)
Lightning Over Water is a penetrating documentary of the last days of cult film director Nicholas Ray. The film was lovingly assembled by Wim Wenders, whose idolatry of Ray is obvious in virtually every frame of his own work. Dying slowly of cancer, Ray reflects on a lifetime of accomplishments, failures and compromises, with plenty of screen time given over to his reminiscences of Joan Crawford, James Dean and others who appeared in his films. Most of the film was lensed in Ray's modest New York City loft, a sharp and poignant contrast to the comparative luxury of his Hollywood years. Lightning Over Water has also been released as Nick's Film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Room 666 (1984)
In this unusual documentary based on a series of identical questions addressed to world-famous directors such as Werner Herzog, Steven Spielberg, and Jean-Luc Godard, director Wim Wenders placed each of his colleagues one-by-one in a single room, gave them one reel (11 minutes) of time to look into the stationary camera if they chose, and answer set questions. The juxtaposition of so many individualistic, experienced, and innovative filmmakers commenting on topics like television's effect on cinema, the influence of ad techniques, the tendency toward miniseries, and other relevant subjects offers worthwhile moments that are unlikely to be found elsewhere. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
The Scarlet Letter (1972)
Wim Wenders' The Scarlet Letter (German title: Der scharlachrote Buchstabe) may well be the most fascinating of the many screen versions of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 19th-century novel. Though the story is set in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, the film was lensed in Spain. Senta Berger is surprisingly well cast as Hester Prynne, whose sexual indiscretions have compelled her to wear the letter "A" (for adultery) on blouse--a symbol of shame to her neighbors, but a strange source of pride for Hester. Lou Castel plays the tortured Reverend Dimmesdale, the man who impregnated Hester but whom has been sworn to secrecy by the self-sacrificing heroine for the "good of the community." Hans Christian Blech portrays Hester's long-lost husband, whose reappearance sets the stage for the wrenching climax. Wenders' interpretation of the customs, behavior and inbred bigotry of the early American immigrants is eye-opening, as only an "outsider's" perception of what we take for granted can be. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The American Friend (1977)
Wim Wenders' mines Dennis Hopper's real-life experience as a painter and collector in this existential take on the American gangster film based on a Patricia Highsmith novel featuring the notoriously sociopathic Tom Ripley. Hopper stars as the eponymous American, currently a middleman selling the work of American painter Derwatt (Nicholas Ray), who has feigned his own death to increase the value of his paintings. While auctioning this work in Berlin, he meets art restorer Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz), who he learns is suffering from an incurable blood disease. When a shady friend (Gerard Blain) requires Ripley to find a "clean" non-professional to do a contract hit in order to pay off a debt, even he is reluctant. But he quickly realizes that the physically vulnerable Jonathan would be perfect for the job, and tries to get him to accept by employing various subterfuges to persuade him that his condition is even worse than it is. For his part, Blain guarantees the restorer that his family will be financially secure for life, and a deal is struck. As usual, nothing works out quite as expected. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Tokyo-ga (1985)
In this intriguing documentary, award-winning German director and producer Wim Wenders combines clips from one of his favorite directors, Ozu Yasujiro (see the tribute to Ozu, Ikite wa Mita Keredo.. by Inoue Kazuo), with actual scenes from the sprawling, crowded megalopolis of Tokyo to discover where the real world and cinematic license may intersect, if at all. Ozu's films captured the poignant and fleeting aspects of worldly existence -- as in colorful autumn leaves that cannot last long. Wenders almost emulates his technique when he decides, in this 92-minute look at Tokyo -- to spend time on fragments of city life that are telling, eloquent statements of a Japanese ethic. Golfers on city rooftops, the neon lights of the famous Ginza shopping area, baseball games in a cemetery, the omnipresent televisions (even in taxis), and the waxed-over food that stands for months and years in restaurant windows to advertise the menu are all surreal and eloquent scenes. Juxtaposed against the noise and bustling crowds in a city in which people live elbow-to-elbow -- and contrasted with viewpoints on Ozu offered by two former associates -- these scenes and their counterpoints present a well-rounded view of Tokyo, Ozu, and what it means to be Wim Wenders filming in Japan. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
A Trick of the Light (1996)
This highly idiosyncratic film, seen mostly at film festivals, is intended to be shown in segments broken up by musical interludes. It is a centennial tribute and depiction of the efforts of the brothers Skladanowsky to create and show the first motion pictures, hence, much of it was filmed using antique silent-film gear. This odd feature film by director Wim Wenders and his Munich film school class began as a class assignment. The Skladanowsky brothers gave "magic lantern" shows in Berlin for years before taking up the challenge of developing moving pictures. Their amateur efforts resulted in their development of a projector called the "Bioskop," (Bioscope), and their first commercial showing of a moving picture in Berlin in 1895 predates the Lumiere brothers' commercial showing in Paris by several weeks. The Lumiere brothers developed yet another type of film projector. Together with Edison and the Lumiere brothers, the Skladanowsky brothers deserve credit for the development of motion pictures. In this film tribute, large sections are done in the style of later silent features. In other portions of the film, Lucy Hurtgen-Skladanowsky (the very aged surviving daughter of one of the two brothers) vividly recounts her memories of the hectic activities surrounding the Bioskop premiere. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Wrong Move (1974)
The Wrong Move and The Wrong Movement were the English-language titles for German director Wim Wenders' Falsche Bewegung. Made for television, the film is an update of Goethe's Wilhelm Meister. Ruediger Vogeler plays aspiring writer Wilhelm Meister, who goes on a long odyssey in the woods in search of truth. His companions on this journey are pragmatic Therese (Hanna Schygulla), bisexual Mignon (Nastassja Kinski, billed under her real name, Nakszynski), Mignon's hippielike boyfriend Laertes (Hans-Christian Blech), and artistically bankrupt poet Landau (Peter Kean). The foursome accept the hospitality of an industrialist (Ivan Desny), who unbeknownst to all but himself is a deeply troubled ex-Nazi. Novelist Peter Handke wrote the screenplay for Wrong Move. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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| Generally interesting...
by liversounds
January 2, 2008 - 6:42 AM PST
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Generally interesting (which is also to say marginally boring), the film premise (typically indulgent and annoyingly forced) has directors line up to answer the surprise question: "Is cinema a language about to get lost, an art about to die?"
These "marginalized" criminals must be so haunted by their futures that Wenders cleverly decides to rent hotel Room 666 (ooooo!!!) to collect answers to a premature and helplessly loaded question... Where would we be with out the boredom and low self-esteem of "great" film-makers like Wim Wenders?
That aside, the opinions of the directors are often interesting, and Herzog's piece had me rolling... |
| Run of the mill documentary
by liversounds
January 2, 2008 - 6:23 AM PST
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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| Wenders' narration does not elevate this documentary above Discovery Channel interest. The film presents typical and mostly uninteresting "city tour" imagery (with minor exceptions that only remotely border on the absurd). The premise that he is honoring/exploring Ozu Yasujiro is flimsy, and the film instead exudes Wenders' own boredom and need to seem deep/tragic (cf. Herzog). |
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