Human Identity and Simplicity
The notion of identity and what it exactly means to be human are concepts that has been debated since the conception of language. But, despite all the complex and existential conceptions surrounding what makes us human, it can be argued that we need to take a step back and see the simpler pleasures in life, which is exactly what Wim Wenders does. In his film, “Wings of Desire”, Wenders offers the perspective that human identity needs to encompass the simpler pleasures in life.
Damiel and Marion
“At every step or every gust of wind… I’d like to be able to say ‘now’ and ‘now’ and ‘now’” -Damiel
One of the clearest examples of where Wenders asks us to appreciate the simplicities in life, stems from the character of Damiel, and his story from an angel to a human. From the almost childlike happiness that Damiel experiences when he first experiences the senses of touch, smell, taste and colour, Wenders augments a sense of ungratefulness within the audience, questioning why we take such simple pleasures for granted.
This is further reinforced by Damiel’s joy in things that the audience would typically see as banal or vapid, like the cheap black coffee and his pleasure in the grey, destitute surroundings.
Additionally, in a scene after where Marion is preparing for her circus act, we cut to her monologuing, with Damiel present. Here, Marion thinks about the future and how it’s “all over”, along with expressing her current feelings of “fear”, whilst the camera slowly descends from a low angle shot of her to a high angle shot.
This placement of the camera, and both Damiel and Marion in this scene could be representative of how her existential and dreadful attitude is looked down upon, whereas the optimistic approach the Damiel commonly exhibits is what is keeping him above Marion. This, translates to how Wenders contends that we should take notice of the pleasures in life, and not the more intangible concepts that perturb us. Moreover, Damiel directly expresses the shortcomings of being transcended.
He says that it is “wonderful to live as a spirit” but imagines being able to “fish in pretence”, “[sit] at tables in pretence” and have “lambs roasted and wine served… only in pretence”. By having him repeatedly envision different things “in pretence”, Wenders reinforces that even if it were not genuinely performed, just the action of ‘doing’ would be more pleasurable than not being able to do anything at all. It is clear that, through the happiness Damiel expressed after what is implied to be millennia of transcendence, that it is the simple acts of feeling, being and doing that are overlooked. This is made evermore transparent when Wenders shows us the innermost thoughts of most of the minor characters.
Minor Characters and their Major Role
In the film, we are introduced to a lot of characters through only a sliver of their thoughts. In a scene near the beginning of the film, a mother expresses her disappointment of her child, asking if “[he’ll] ever grow up”. This sense of despondency is also seen in the father, who rhetorically asks “is he ever gonna come to his senses”. Both parents are expressing a concern for the child’s future, with Wenders portraying them as negatively evaluating their child.
This is interesting, as this could be an example of Wenders insinuating the notion that happiness can be easier found in life through those simpler, more tangible concepts, which is similar to what children do. In one of the scenes, we see a room with a clutter of objects. There is a lack of space in here, but the children in the scene, especially when contrasted with the pessimistic thoughts of the parents, appear to be blissfully involved in the moment, invoking the belief within the audience that they are happy. When we cut to the teenager, however, we see him heartbroken, thinking about a girl and how “she doesn’t love” him, and how “she never did”. Here is a demonstration of the fragility of the teenage psyche, but Wenders uses it to express how the rumination between experiences and opportunities past are not worth the despondency that comes with it. With children, the thoughts and experiences that they formulate are arguably simple, jejune and they are able to be easily shaped by their surroundings. Thus, it can be argued that Wenders is conveying the message that it is the simpler concepts in life that create joy in life and therefore should be further emphasised as part of the human identity.
On the Other Hand..
In contrast, Wenders conveys a counterargument through the character of Cassiel. Wenders makes it clear that Cassiel’s refusal to become immanent was shaped by his exposure to all the shortcomings of human life. Examples of this include Cassiel’s witnessing of the man’s suicide. It is implied that Cassiel’s decision to remain transcendent was influenced by his hearing of the man’s internal dialogues, his reminiscence of heartbreak and eventually how he was overwhelmed by “all these thoughts” and how he didn’t “want to think anymore”. After the man jumps, Cassiel screams, and the camera cuts to birds flying in the distance, an image commonly used to connote the distress of a recent occurrence.
Through having Cassiel scream, Wenders insinuates how Cassiel was frustrated at his inability to do anything, and how it affected his decision to reject a human identity, lest he was in a position where he was unable to successfully help someone due to the complexities of human life. Another example of where Cassiel experiences an undesirable facet of humanity is when he hears the thoughts of Homer.
“What is wrong with peace? That it’s inspiration doesn’t endure… and that it’s story is hardly told.” -Homer
These philosophical thoughts are presented to us after a montage of images that illustrate the cruel and harsh circumstances that stemmed from war, mainly of children laying injured or dead on the ground.
The presentation of children shows the injustice of war, but as children are described to be more free and vulnerable to identity and philosophies, evidenced by how only children can see the angels, it emphasises the brutality of war. As Cassiel is exposed to these unjust conditions and decides to remain transcendant, Wenders signifies how the simplicities in life are not able to overcome the flaws and shortcomings of humanity. In addition, the montage below illustrates a lot of the issues that Cassiel experienced with humanity.
Wenders cuts between Cassiel and his wings to instances where the human identity can be seen as flawed, from the domestic abuse, the abandoned child, to the images of war and destruction. This intellectual montage helps to convey the devastation that Cassiel has observed and through it, Wenders signifies that these factors are uniquely human but keep Cassiel away from becoming immanent.
To sum up,
Through the characters of Damiel and Marion and Damiel’s justifications for relinquishing his role as an angel, and through showing the thoughts of different minor characters and expressing their despondency or happiness, Wenders emphasis the notion that it is the simple pleasures in life that we should cease to overlook as part of the human identity. In contrast, by using the character of Cassiel and his justifications to stay as an angel, Wenders signifies that the simple pleasures in life can simultaneously be overshadowed by the flaws of humanity.
