This film, which won the 1987 Best Director Award at Cannes, is an absorbing exploration into the consciousness of Cold War era Germans living in West Berlin. Two angels Cassiel and Damiel roam the city and are able to hear the thoughts of individuals they come into contact with. A father and mother lament the apathy of their son who withdrawals from them, from society, and hides away in his room listening to punk rock. A writer longs for an “epic of peace.” We hear the thoughts of a man on the verge of death. A suicidal man contemplates his jacket, puts on his headphones and calmly jumps from the top of a building. A young trapeze artist named Marrion questions her purpose and finds solace in small moments of happiness.
Damiel eventually falls in love with Marrion, after seeing her perform with the circus and hearing her somber loneliness. He decides he would rather be an active participant, engaging the world instead of recording its history, so he becomes fully human. He goes to find Marrion who will be his guide in learning humanity.
One of the Best parts of the film is the awesome Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds performances. Frequent shots of the Berlin Wall stir memories of a time past for those old enough to remember the 80’s… Reagan, Gorbachev, the “Evil Empire,” etc. I also now know how I would kill myself if I ever decided to commit suicide… of course with headphones on. Another highlight is the acting of Bruno Ganz who plays Damiel. His interaction with the world as he becomes human is comical and endearing. This was overall a good movie that I would highly recommend.
