Faraway, So Close!
Encyclopedia
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
. Actors Otto Sander
and Bruno Ganz
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
, Willem Dafoe
and Heinz Rühmann
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
during World War II
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
s by the singer Lou Reed
, the American actor Peter Falk
and former Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
, all of whom play themselves.
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
from the album Zooropa
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
. Actors Otto Sander
and Bruno Ganz
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
, Willem Dafoe
and Heinz Rühmann
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
during World War II
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
s by the singer Lou Reed
, the American actor Peter Falk
and former Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
, all of whom play themselves.
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
from the album Zooropa
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
. Actors Otto Sander
and Bruno Ganz
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
, Willem Dafoe
and Heinz Rühmann
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
during World War II
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
s by the singer Lou Reed
, the American actor Peter Falk
and former Soviet
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
, all of whom play themselves.
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
from the album Zooropa
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
.
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
. Actors Otto Sander
Otto Sander
Otto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
and Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
, Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
and Heinz Rühmann
Heinz Rühmann
Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.
Plot
Cassiel and Raphaella, two angelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
Underground
Underground most commonly refers to:* The regions beneath the surface of the EarthUnderground may also refer to:-Places:* London Underground, a rapid transit system* The Underground , a Christian-affiliated concert venue...
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
Cast
- Otto SanderOtto SanderOtto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
- Cassiel - Bruno GanzBruno GanzBruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
- Damiel - Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
- Raphaela - Horst BuchholzHorst BuchholzHorst Werner Buchholz was a German actor, remembered for his part in The Magnificent Seven and Nine Hours to Rama. He appeared in over sixty films during his acting career from 1952–2002.-Life and work:...
- Tony Baker - Martin Olbertz - Dying man
- Aline Krajewski - Raissa
- Monika Hansen - Hanna / Gertrud Becker
- Peter FalkPeter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
- Himself - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Himself - Rüdiger VoglerRüdiger VoglerRüdiger Vogler is a German film and stage actor.-Biography:Rüdiger Vogler attended acting school in Heidelberg from 1963 to 1965...
- Phillip Winter - Heinz RühmannHeinz RühmannHeinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
- Chauffeur Konrad - Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
- Himself - Tilmann Vierzig - Young Konrad
- Hanns Zischler - Dr. Becker
- Antonia Westphal - Young Hanna
- Ingo Schmitz - Anton Becker
- Günter MeisnerGünter MeisnerGünter Meisner was a German actor. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler....
- Forger - Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
- Emit Flesti / Time Itself - Ronald Nitschke - Patzke
Cameos
The film features cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by the singer Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, the American actor Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
and former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, all of whom play themselves.
Music
The U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
from the album Zooropa
Zooropa
Zooropa Based on the pronunciations of "zoo" and "Europa". is the eighth studio album by rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes...
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
- Faraway So Close - Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
- Stay Faraway So Close – U2
- Why Can't I Be Good – Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Chaos - Herbert Gronemeyer
- Travelin On - Simon Bonney
- The Wanderer – Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
And U2 - Cassiel's Song – Nick Cave
- Slow Tango – Jane Siberry
- Call Me - House Of Love
- All God's Children - Simon Bonney
- Tightrope – Laurie AndersonLaurie AndersonLaura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
- Speak My Language - Laurie Anderson
- Victory
- Gorbi
- Konrad 1st Part
- Konrad 2nd Part
- Firedream
- Allegro
- Engel
- Mensch
Honors
The film won the Grand Prix du JuryGrand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.
External links
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
. Actors Otto Sander
Otto Sander
Otto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
and Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
, Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
and Heinz Rühmann
Heinz Rühmann
Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.
Plot
Cassiel and Raphaella, two angelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
Underground
Underground most commonly refers to:* The regions beneath the surface of the EarthUnderground may also refer to:-Places:* London Underground, a rapid transit system* The Underground , a Christian-affiliated concert venue...
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
Cast
- Otto SanderOtto SanderOtto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
- Cassiel - Bruno GanzBruno GanzBruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
- Damiel - Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
- Raphaela - Horst BuchholzHorst BuchholzHorst Werner Buchholz was a German actor, remembered for his part in The Magnificent Seven and Nine Hours to Rama. He appeared in over sixty films during his acting career from 1952–2002.-Life and work:...
- Tony Baker - Martin Olbertz - Dying man
- Aline Krajewski - Raissa
- Monika Hansen - Hanna / Gertrud Becker
- Peter FalkPeter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
- Himself - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Himself - Rüdiger VoglerRüdiger VoglerRüdiger Vogler is a German film and stage actor.-Biography:Rüdiger Vogler attended acting school in Heidelberg from 1963 to 1965...
- Phillip Winter - Heinz RühmannHeinz RühmannHeinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
- Chauffeur Konrad - Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
- Himself - Tilmann Vierzig - Young Konrad
- Hanns Zischler - Dr. Becker
- Antonia Westphal - Young Hanna
- Ingo Schmitz - Anton Becker
- Günter MeisnerGünter MeisnerGünter Meisner was a German actor. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler....
- Forger - Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
- Emit Flesti / Time Itself - Ronald Nitschke - Patzke
Cameos
The film features cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by the singer Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, the American actor Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
and former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, all of whom play themselves.
Music
The U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
from the album Zooropa
Zooropa
Zooropa Based on the pronunciations of "zoo" and "Europa". is the eighth studio album by rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes...
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
- Faraway So Close - Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
- Stay Faraway So Close – U2
- Why Can't I Be Good – Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Chaos - Herbert Gronemeyer
- Travelin On - Simon Bonney
- The Wanderer – Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
And U2 - Cassiel's Song – Nick Cave
- Slow Tango – Jane Siberry
- Call Me - House Of Love
- All God's Children - Simon Bonney
- Tightrope – Laurie AndersonLaurie AndersonLaura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
- Speak My Language - Laurie Anderson
- Victory
- Gorbi
- Konrad 1st Part
- Konrad 2nd Part
- Firedream
- Allegro
- Engel
- Mensch
Honors
The film won the Grand Prix du JuryGrand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.
External links
Faraway, So Close! is a 1993 film by German director Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. The film is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
. Actors Otto Sander
Otto Sander
Otto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
and Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
reprise their roles as angels visiting earth. The film also stars Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
, Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
and Heinz Rühmann
Heinz Rühmann
Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
(in his last film role). It won the Grand Prix du Jury
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.
Plot
Cassiel and Raphaella, two angelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, observe the busy life of reunited Berlin. Due to their divine origin, they can hear the thoughts of the people around them, and try to console a dying man. Cassiel has been following his friend Damiel (a former angel), who senses his presence and talks about his experiences as a human. He owns a pizza parlor named Casa dell'angelo (Angel's House) and has married Marion, a trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
artist whom he met when an angel. She works in a local bar in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, and the two have a young daughter (Marion).
Cassiel follows Raisa Becker, an 11-year-old girl who lives in the former East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. He observes her life and notices that she and her mother Hanna Becker are being followed by Philip Winter, a detective who works for Anton Baker. The latter is an American mafioso who owns a transport company.
Cassiel follows Hanna Becker (and Winter) to an abandoned building in the outskirts of East Berlin. There he finds that she brings food to Konrad, a man who has acted as a father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
to her, since his days as her chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Traveling back in time, Cassiel is able to see the last days of Berlin late in the war. When the war appeared to have been lost, the father, a doctor, escaped to the United States with his son and adopted the name Baker. The mother Gertrud Becker stayed behind with the young Hanna, both under the care of Konrad.
Winter photographs the WWII-vintage cars which Konrad cares for and brings the photos to Baker. Winter drops the man as an employer, having investigated his activities. He encounters Peter Falk outside the hotel.
As Raphaella and Cassiel sit on top of the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
, he expresses a desire to experience human life. Visiting Raisa, he finds her alone at her flat and leaning over the balcony railing. As she falls, Cassiel tries to save her and suddenly becomes human, catching the child. He has to adjust to the transformation, learning to modulate the volume of his voice and to negotiate streets and avoid being hit by cars. His only possession is an angel's armor, which became tangible when he leaped into humanity. In the underground
Underground
Underground most commonly refers to:* The regions beneath the surface of the EarthUnderground may also refer to:-Places:* London Underground, a rapid transit system* The Underground , a Christian-affiliated concert venue...
(subway), Cassiel is tricked into gambling by Emit Flesti, losing his armor and money won during the game. Raphaella begs Flesti to give Cassiel time to understand what it is to be a human; he agrees but does not promise to stop hunting him.
Arrested and detained, Cassiel struggles to satisfy police demands for identification. He cannot give (or comprehend) his name or address, but refers the police to his friend's pizza shop. Damiel arrives at the station and takes his now human friend home. Cassiel does not understand why everyone is so alone and cannot understand each other (his ability as an angel to hear their thoughts has disappeared.)
Tricked by Flesti into drinking alcohol, he becomes addicted and robs a shop with a gun taken from a teenager. The boy had been planning to kill his stepfather for abuse. Cassiel begins acting to make his way and feigns a car accident with Baker. He manages to get Baker to pay for his passport and official identifications under the name Karl Engel (Charles Angel). Baker hires Cassiel as his personal valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
, to pass him cards for beating his mafia associates at poker. Stopping by Casa dell'Angelo to return items borrowed from Damiel, Cassiel encounters Flesti again. He is collecting money from Damiel, after having loaned him money to set up the business.
After he saves Baker's life from an extortion attempt by Patzke, Baker makes Cassiel his partner. Finally learning his evil business, Cassiel decides to stop him. He goes first to Konrad's garage, to rest in one of his cars; Winter sleeps in another. When Winter is about to leave, he is killed by Flesti. Winter dies in Cassiel's arms. Konrad arrives and Cassiel tells his life story, since the former chauffeur recognized him as the angel in his life. The former angel organizes his friends to destroy Baker's business. Meanwhile, Baker has reunited with his sister Hanna.
With the help of Peter Falk, Cassiel gets into Baker's airport storage area. His team takes all the weapons and destroy the pornography copying machines. They send the weapons to a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
owned by other friends. Once having completed the plan, Cassiel feels ready to live as a human, but Flesti reports that Baker's enemy Patzke has hijacked the barge with Baker's and Cassiel's friends inside.
Flesti reveals himself as Time and says that he has to make Cassiel understand he does not belong in the human world; he has a word written on his forehead. At a boat lift, Cassiel gets on the barge to free Raisa, but is killed. Flesti slows time so the rest can take over the barge and save the entire party. Cassiel's friends are saddened by his death, but when Damiel hears a ring in his ear, he understands that Cassiel is near and laughs in joy.
Cast
- Otto SanderOtto SanderOtto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
- Cassiel - Bruno GanzBruno GanzBruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
- Damiel - Nastassja KinskiNastassja KinskiNastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
- Raphaela - Horst BuchholzHorst BuchholzHorst Werner Buchholz was a German actor, remembered for his part in The Magnificent Seven and Nine Hours to Rama. He appeared in over sixty films during his acting career from 1952–2002.-Life and work:...
- Tony Baker - Martin Olbertz - Dying man
- Aline Krajewski - Raissa
- Monika Hansen - Hanna / Gertrud Becker
- Peter FalkPeter FalkPeter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
- Himself - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Himself - Rüdiger VoglerRüdiger VoglerRüdiger Vogler is a German film and stage actor.-Biography:Rüdiger Vogler attended acting school in Heidelberg from 1963 to 1965...
- Phillip Winter - Heinz RühmannHeinz RühmannHeinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann was a popular German film actor.-Life and work:Rühmann was born in Essen, Westphalia. His role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led him to film stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor throughout the 1930s and early 1940s...
- Chauffeur Konrad - Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
- Himself - Tilmann Vierzig - Young Konrad
- Hanns Zischler - Dr. Becker
- Antonia Westphal - Young Hanna
- Ingo Schmitz - Anton Becker
- Günter MeisnerGünter MeisnerGünter Meisner was a German actor. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler....
- Forger - Willem DafoeWillem DafoeWillem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
- Emit Flesti / Time Itself - Ronald Nitschke - Patzke
Cameos
The film features cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by the singer Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, the American actor Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
and former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, all of whom play themselves.
Music
The U2U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
" was written for the film. The same year as the film's release, the band released a different version as a single
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay " is a song by the rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, Zooropa and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song was a top ten hit in the Ireland, Australia, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The music video was shot in Berlin,...
from the album Zooropa
Zooropa
Zooropa Based on the pronunciations of "zoo" and "Europa". is the eighth studio album by rock band U2. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno, and The Edge, it was released on 5 July 1993 on Island Records. Inspired by the band's experiences on the Zoo TV Tour, Zooropa expanded on many of the tour's themes...
.
The soundtrack, released on SBK Records/ERG has a running time of 76:33 with the following tracks:
- Faraway So Close - Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
- Stay Faraway So Close – U2
- Why Can't I Be Good – Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- Chaos - Herbert Gronemeyer
- Travelin On - Simon Bonney
- The Wanderer – Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
And U2 - Cassiel's Song – Nick Cave
- Slow Tango – Jane Siberry
- Call Me - House Of Love
- All God's Children - Simon Bonney
- Tightrope – Laurie AndersonLaurie AndersonLaura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
- Speak My Language - Laurie Anderson
- Victory
- Gorbi
- Konrad 1st Part
- Konrad 2nd Part
- Firedream
- Allegro
- Engel
- Mensch
Honors
The film won the Grand Prix du JuryGrand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
1993 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :* Louis Malle * Claudia Cardinale * Inna Churikova * Judy Davis * Abbas Kiarostami * Emir Kusturica * William Lubtchansky * Tom Luddy * Gary Oldman * Augusto M...
.