In the first half, this movie is unique, distinguish, inspiring and poetic. However, it is let down in the second half, becoming just another random movie.
This German motion-picture challenges personal beliefs, but one mustn't take that too literally. This is a story of invisible and immortal angels (well played by Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander) who populate West Berlin and have two specific missions. One of them, however, gets bored with immortality and always seeing and never sensing or experiencing anything, therefore he chooses to become a mortal.
The vast majority is shot in an excellent black and white save for brief moments when the world is seen through real people's eyes. In other words, the reason why they use black and white is only to represent the world as seen through the angels's eyes (and it works!). Up to that point, the movie is a visual treat, because of the beautiful scenario and the black and white that suits it combines so well. The words and messages are often poetic, which results in something like food for the soul.
Once one of the angels trades eternity for life, the movie becomes colored and to be sincere it looks horrid. The problem is more than just that: the movie itself becomes lame, although even before that it already begins to get inferior. Those bits with musicians singing those crappy songs, for example, are partially responsible for this ruin.
Flawed as it is, nevertheless it is unquestionably much better than that rubbish 'City of Angels' with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan - and very different too!
This German motion-picture challenges personal beliefs, but one mustn't take that too literally. This is a story of invisible and immortal angels (well played by Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander) who populate West Berlin and have two specific missions. One of them, however, gets bored with immortality and always seeing and never sensing or experiencing anything, therefore he chooses to become a mortal.
The vast majority is shot in an excellent black and white save for brief moments when the world is seen through real people's eyes. In other words, the reason why they use black and white is only to represent the world as seen through the angels's eyes (and it works!). Up to that point, the movie is a visual treat, because of the beautiful scenario and the black and white that suits it combines so well. The words and messages are often poetic, which results in something like food for the soul.
Once one of the angels trades eternity for life, the movie becomes colored and to be sincere it looks horrid. The problem is more than just that: the movie itself becomes lame, although even before that it already begins to get inferior. Those bits with musicians singing those crappy songs, for example, are partially responsible for this ruin.
Flawed as it is, nevertheless it is unquestionably much better than that rubbish 'City of Angels' with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan - and very different too!