Faraway, So Close! (1993)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I watched this movie the first time about 10 years ago and I was deeply touched. It's a celebration of all that is good about us human beings in a world that fails to choose what is good out of fear and because of past disappointments.The fact that an angel returns to earth to continue to grow is a symbolism of an ennobling idea that humanity never ends, not even after death, and that progression doesn't end, even after death.If nothing else, this movie should be a motivating factor to look at what's good. At best, it encourages us to be and do good because of the potential rewards that transcend this life.

Cassiel(Otto Sandler)decides to follow Damiel's path and become human, but realizes that this world differs greatly from where he came from. His supposed "nemesis" is a shady character named Emit Flesti(Willem Dafoe playing him very oddly)who can communicate through both worlds..he talks with Cassiel's "angel partner" Raphaela(Nastassja Kinski)and can also chat away with mortals. He seems to have this particular interest in time and time seems to be very prevalent in how Cassiel views this brand new world. The world to Cassiel can be a curious beast..he starts out as any new babe in a brand new world by slowly adjusting to his surroundings. He visits several mortals he viewed as an angel in the other existence taking what little he knew from them incorporating everything into his new man..Karl Engel. As Karl, he has a hard time making headway in the mortal world, at one point deep in an alcoholic daze, but meets a corrupt businessman who changes him into a whole different person. Money begins to slowly corrupt Karl who is entering a world of crime with his boss that may ruin his goal set when he even decided to come to our world..to try and bring humanity to a cold and sad world. That seems to be Flesti's desire(as he often tells Raphaela who often begs him to let Karl alone)for Cassiel..that his Karl descend in this mortal world finding out that he doesn't belong here and should return to his angel duties.This film is quite a contrast to "Wings of Desire" for which it's a sequel. While Damiel's entrance to our mortal realm was indeed because of love for his beloved Marion(the lovely Solveig Dommartin)for whom he often shadowed, Cassiel's decision came because he wanted to make a difference..bring joy to a disheartened world. But, corruption, greed, and other vices may put a damper on those plans. The film, through Wenders direction, lovingly meanders with the German and American languages often mixed together as characters speak. There's less of a melancholic tone to this one where "WoD" was centered in a location of West Berlin before the wall came down and many's hopes and dreams seemed nil. Like in the first film, the camera offers a POV shot of how Cassiel flies, and there's the drifting between B&W and Color to show the changing of worlds for which the angels and mortals inhibit.

To enjoy this movie, view it as a poem. It relies on the language of the heart and asks its viewers to see it as it truly is, through the same myopic eyes to try and understand a dream. There is the duality of existence we all face, mirrored through the experience of an angel who falls to earth, who falls precisely because he can no longer contain himself within the restrictions of his identity. The central metaphor of this movie is about the passion, truth and love we are all promised, should we choose to live life as we were meant. There are the difficulties of trying to live out our singular purpose, the disappointments of relation, the trials of being part of something greater than self. In all these, there is also the beauty inherent, and ultimate understanding. The triumph of beautiful release, when we realise that all that has gone before is both behind us and a part of what we are, and the relief of becoming an individual, and understanding and embracing aspirations gained and lost.

This is a truly unique film. It was shot beautifully. The actors, music, location et.al. was superbly well chosen. This film is pure poetry in motion, language, acting, script, etc. It has the uniqueness of providing an incredibly positive view/side of the fact of being a human being. I have made all the people I know, watch it and everybody seems to agree with me. Thank you, Mr. Wenders for giving us a beautiful and meaningful film, that outshines most by the mere insinuation that life is beautiful. It is a job well done. Thank you, again. Joanne Tijerino