Wim Wenders (director)
AX1 Films (studio)
U (certificate)
108 Minutes (length)
11 January 2018 (released)
11 January 2018
Philip Winter is a German writer who is documenting America.He cant seem to capture it however and instead takes photographs. his editor hates this and sends him home. At the travel agent he meets Lisa, a fellow German and her daughter Alice. Lisa needs to resolve another relationship that decayed and leaves Philip in charge of Alice. Philip and Alice are to fly to Amsterdam to meet Lisa but on arrival she isn't there. Where could she be?
Road movie one half and Child adult other this film made a significant impact on cinema in its release year. 1974 saw German new wave films come alive. More contemplative in tone and confrontation, it never shied away from confronting but also for meandering on the topic. Here we have a mystery of a mother and a man in the midst of exploring his own self. trying to find reality inside the shell of fake truths. Characters float in a world outside themselves. Choose to avoid connections via language and culture and instead confront what is essentially expectation.
The US becomes a mystery that child like we have to redefine. Amsterdam becomes Alien but a place of lost and found, love and dream. Imagination becomes a discourse of what could be in the world of a child and a man both finding what is important. In our world today such an event as this could not or would not happen. Here it works because the menace is lost and the two are wayfarers in the river of life. Taking the journey along a road that is beholding and bewildering but also one that betwixt's.
The extras and the transfer looks great. The 16mm film has some light diffusion and grain issues on the DVD but the blu ray is clear and clean. A whisper of wonderment. The notes in the booklet are great and deserve some time to mull over. The Mark Cousins piece is the high point. Two great film makers talk about film and explore its core like only greats do.
Special Features
NEW RESTORED 4K DIGITAL TRANSFER commissioned by the Wim Wenders Foundation and supervised by director Wim Wenders
Interview with Wim Wenders by filmmaker and critic Mark Cousins
Conversations with actors Ru diger Vogler and Yella Rottla nder
Instant Stories: Wim Wenders Polaroids featurette
Deleted Scenes
Documentary Restoring Time on the restoration of Wenders work
Exclusive limited-edition booklet
New English subtitle translation approved by Wim Wenders
Original aspect ratio 1.66:1
German language with optional English subtitles
Disc 1: BD50, 1080p, 24fps
Disc 2: DVD9, PAL
