Overview
Two angels wander the streets of Berlin, longing for the human experience and the power of love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- dreamy
- contemplative
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a visually ravishing, emotionally aching, and philosophically resonant exploration of love, mortality, and what it means to be human.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Damiel and Cassiel observe Berlin from an invisible angelic realm while human life unfolds below them.
The angels’ perspective is largely rendered in black and white, while human embodiment brings a vivid shift into color.
West Berlin is presented through wandering angels, private thoughts, libraries, streets, the Berlin Wall, and troubled inhabitants.
Damiel’s love for Marion motivates his willingness to abandon immortality and experience sensation and emotion as a human.
Films like Wings of Desire, and why
The Double Life of Véronique
Shares poetic fantasy, romantic longing, philosophical reflection, and visually inventive exploration of human experience.
A Matter of Life and Death
Comparable for lyrical metaphysics, spiritual yearning, romantic melancholy, and heightened visual storytelling.
The Tree of Life
Shares contemplative pacing, surreal imagery, intimate romance, and meditations on mortality and transcendence.
Midnight in Paris
Comparable as a city-based, dreamlike romance shaped by loneliness, identity, and emotionally transformative encounters.
Movie Details
- Director
- Wim Wenders
- Release Date
- 1987-09-23
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (1542)
Cast
- Bruno Ganz
- Solveig Dommartin
- Otto Sander
- Curt Bois
- Peter Falk
- Hans Martin Stier
- Elmar Wilms
- Sigurd Rachman
- Beatrice Manowski
- Bruno Rosaz
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Wings of Desire about?
- An angel overlooking divided Berlin risks immortality for the chance to feel human love, sensation, and uncertainty.
- What is Wings of Desire like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wings of Desire as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wings of Desire violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Wings of Desire.
- What did critics think of Wings of Desire?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a visually ravishing, emotionally aching, and philosophically resonant exploration of love, mortality, and what it means to be human.
- Which films are like Wings of Desire?
- Films with a similar feel include The Double Life of Véronique, A Matter of Life and Death, The Tree of Life, and Midnight in Paris.
- How long is Wings of Desire?
- Wings of Desire runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wings of Desire?
- In United States, Wings of Desire streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
