Wings of Desire - Chris Osmond

-What was your experience like watching a foreign film? 

I actually love watching foreign films. One of my favorites is Cinema Paradiso. Though this film is very different from Wings of Desire, I still find them quite enjoyable because of subtitles. Many people don't like subtitles, but I find that I concentrate more intently when I can hear the dialog and read it as well. It taps into activating another sense. Sight, sound, and ...reading.

It's also interesting to see different cultures and how they approach subjects. It's a really good way to see what kind of similarities we as Americans have with other cultures. It brings the world together.


-What were some interesting aspects of the film that were different than the typical American movies you watch? 

The film was definitely slower. It didn't have the classic structure as an American film would have. I think that's why a lot of people were frustrated while watching this film. I didn't particularly get frustrated, but I understood that it was much slower. I think some of the scenes could have been taken out, but the director Wim Wenders probably wanted to really show the audience what it would be like to not have a body. Sure it was slow, but after a while you really wanted to know how it was going to end. Is he going to get a body? What are his experiences going to be like when he can actually feel things, taste things, interact with things. If that transformation happened too fast, we wouldn't have had an emotional connection with Damiel (the main character).

To conclude, I think Americans are always wanting a quick answer to questions. We're used to the typical action movie, the typical chick-flick. But I think we need to understand that sometimes things that are "drawn out" are done intentionally. We just have to better understand the story that is being told.