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Sunday, March 6, 2016

Nicole Utley - Foreign Film vs. American Film

My head is still spinning.

I can honestly say that watching Wings of Desire was one of the most bizarre, and yet oddly gratifying movie-watching experiences to date. I decided I could really fall in love with foreign film.

Wings of Desire does a great job at capturing the conversations you have with yourself in your head (like Peter Falk: "What a dear face! Interesting. What a nostril. A dramatic nostril. These people are extras. Extra people. Extras are so patient. They just sit. Extras. These humans are extras. Extra humans.")

It gives a greater value to being alive.

It's definitely more mind-expanding and thought-provoking than your typical Friday night RomCom. In fact, I don't think the two could be more different. (Minus the fact that at the end of the movie, two characters meet and mack without any hesitation or questions like, "You were creeping in my circus camper and became mortal just to meet me?")

For example:

"Let's push the boundaries"
Hollywood: More violence! More sex!
Wings of Desire: What would it be like to experience color for the first time? How about friction? How about coffee? How about just being noticed?

"Cue music"
Hollywood: "Get Miley, we need something inspirational." Miley: "It's the cliiiiiiiiimb"
WOD: Well if this doesn't put them either on edge or on the edge of their seats, nothing will.
(Also, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds....what the...?)

"And the moral of the story is..."
Hollywood: You can lie, cheat, and steal as long as you have a semi-valid reason and a hot car.
WOD: Would you trade an eternity of subpar existence for a brief mortality of ultimate reality?

I left the movie confused, yet delighted. I felt significantly more human and grateful for a mortal existence. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there really are angels helping out in the library. (I am surprised however, that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds went on to produce 10 additional albums, but hey, I guess it's art!)

One last good quote:
Damiel: Wait! I want to know everything!
Peter Falk: You need to figure that out for yourself, that's the fun of it!

2 comments:

  1. I love that: "Would you trade an eternity of subpar existence for a brief mortality of ultimate reality?" I think it definitely has gospel applications as well: like in the pre-mortal world, we had the option to choose an eternity of subpar existence or a brief mortality of ultimate reality.

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  2. I really liked the last quote too- it's like when we want Heavenly Father to just tell us everything but He reminds us that the point of why we're here is to figure it out for ourselves and find joy doing it.

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