End of the World Movie Club: Wings of Desire

When things go down the shitter I often turn to films to keep my spirits up. I'll admit that I'm a bit of wallower...when I'm really miserable I don't necessarily want a good cheering-up, I want a comforting confirmation that everything is exactly as awful and bleak as I thought it was. (I recently attended a showing of Elen Klimov's Come and See - which is pretty much a dictionary definition of 'bleak').

That said, underneath this Black Metal-loving exterior I'm also kind of a hopeless romantic.

I guess it's that combination of stark melancholy and tender yearning that makes Wim Wenders' 1987 masterpiece Wings of Desire my all-time favorite film. No matter what mood I'm in, Wenders' tale of an angel's search for meaning set amongst a divided Berlin makes me feel - well, if not better, then at least justified.

Damiel's search for meaning and love is largely an allegory for Wenders desire to see his country reuinted, and as the angel Damiel and human trapeze artist Marion find harmony so too would Wenders Germany a mere three years after the film's release.

Wings of Desire is a love story for the ages and remains timeless, despite being rooted in the events of the recent past. Plus, who doesn't love seeing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at their prime?