[6], In 1974, Nora Sayre and Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times wrote that Alice in the Cities is "a film with a great deal to say about Europe and America, about the exhaustion of dreams and the homogenization of nations, about roots and the awareness of time, about sterility and creativity, about vicarious and real adventure and, eventually, about the possibilities of the future. A goalkeeper Josef Bloch is ejected during a game for foul play. Some parts, like certain hotel scenes and almost anything filmed in a car, closely followed the script due to logistical reasons, but by the end of the film, Wenders said they virtually ignored the script altogether. Pennebaker, who had footage of Berry singing the song from the concert that yielded Sweet Toronto. Use the HTML below. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice … He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. Combined with their budgetary limitations, they were left with no other option than to switch to 16 mm. Phillip is a roving German reporter who, after a chance encounter with an elusive American woman, reluctantly accepts temporary custody of little Alice. Alice in the Cities (German: Alice in den Städten) is a 1974 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. The film's theme foreshadows Wenders' later film Paris, Texas.[1]. Alice in the Cities is a 1974 film from West Germany directed by Wim Wenders.. Philip Winter is a 31-year-old newspaper writer. Play. Drama. Play. He felt that his first two features were too heavily indebted to John Cassavetes and Alfred Hitchcock, while his third was an ill-advised adaptation of The Scarlet Letter. Alice in the Cities was a conscious attempt to make something only he could do. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. Tension runs high between them as he cuts short the sightseeing trip and his money is running out. Alice in the Cities (1974) German journalist Philip Winter (Rüdiger Vogler) has a case of writer's block when trying to write an article about the United States. Was this review helpful to you? Subscribe. He meets with a depressed young man whose marriage has just broken up, and the two decide to travel together. In my mind these films are meditative, visually hypnotic and poignant essays that speak volumes on the human condition and of film-making itself. To his horror, the film appeared to be very similar to the one he was making, prompting him to call his production office and break the news that he was canceling the project, believing the film that they were going to shoot "had already been made". The search ends when they find the house, but the people living there now don't know Alice's grandmother. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The first of the road films that would come to define the career of Wim Wenders, the magnificent Alice in the Cities is an emotionally generous and luminously shot journey. Philip and Alice take their flights to Amsterdam on the expectation that Lisa will catch up with them there. [2], The scenario of a young girl and a writer thrown together was inspired by his long-time collaborator Peter Handke's experience as a single parent. Watching ALICE IN THE CITIES and STRANGER THAN PARADISE in tandem helps illuminate the broader cinematic relationship between European art cinema and American independent film. The film can be seen as a response to Handke's novel. Start Shopping. An angel tires of overseeing human activity and wishes to become human when he falls in love with a mortal. German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer’s block when trying to write an article about the United States. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. Rent/Buy. On location in Portugal, a film crew runs out of film while making their own version of Roger Corman's Day the World Ended (1955). A German journalist (Rüdiger Vogler) is driving across the United States to research an article; it’s a disappointing trip, in which he is unable to truly connect with what he sees. German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer's block when trying to write an article about the United States. Wenders' Angst is the German equivalent of what Existentialism was to the French New Wave, powerful philosophical themes that would ultimately shape the direction of their respective cinematic movements.If asked to recommend a series of films every fan of cinema should see, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest the films Wenders made between 71-77 (in addition to 1982's The State of Things / Der Stand der Dinge). He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. The scenario of a young girl and a writer thrown together was inspired by his long-time collaborator Peter Handke’s experience as a single parent. After a day of searching, first in the famous Wuppertal Schwebebahn and then with a rented car, Alice realizes that her granny actually doesn't live in Wuppertal. He has been road-tripping around the United States trying to write an article about "the American landscape", but hasn't been able to come up with any copy, only taking Polaroid pictures. 538 likes. more. Rudiger Vogler as Philip Winter and Yella Rottlander as Alice are fantastic in their roles. Not Yet Rated 1 hr 50 min Oct 8th, 1974 Drama. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Resume. He says: "I'll finish this story." It was all done in one day. This became a viable workaround, for licensing Pennebaker's footage (which they had to decolorize for the film) was substantially cheaper than clearing their own with Berry's camp. According to Wenders, it was also an additional inspiration for the film, but Berry's camp demanded a clearance fee that they could not afford to pay. Short clip of Sibylle Baier singing "Softly" in Alice in the Cities/Alice in den Städten. This FAQ is empty. Released from prison a man wanders through a new reality, In 17th-century Salem, Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A because she is an adulteress, with a child out of wedlock. This was the first part of Wenders' "Road Movie trilogy" which included The Wrong Move (1975) and Kings of the Road (1976). Alice in the Cities (Alice in den Städten) Directed by Wim Wenders Written by Wim Wenders with Veith von Furstenberg West Germany/1974 IMDb page First viewing/Amazon Prime rental. Tom Ripley, who deals in forged art, suggests a picture framer he knows would make a good hit man. As Alice has lived there with her parents and speaks Dutch, she suggests showing him the city while they wait for Lisa's flight. The Best Criterion Collection Box Sets That Every Movie Lover Should Own, New to Streaming: Tesla, Days of Heaven, The August Virgin & More, NYC Weekend Watch: “On Memory,” ‘The Last Temptation of Christ,’ ‘The Green Ray’ & More, One Who Set Forth: Wim Wenders' Early Years. A German journalist is saddled with a nine-year-old girl after encountering her mother at a New York airport. Wenders mentioned to Fuller that he had just cancelled a project, and upon finding out that Wenders had already secured the financing for the film, he convinced Wenders that it was a mistake. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Fri 4 Jan 2008 18.46 EST. Alice in the Cities is a sensitive and thoughtful film that suggests that everything in life has a purpose and that guidance is available if we remain open. [4], While Wenders was preparing Alice in the Cities, a friend took him to see Peter Bogdanovich's new film, Paper Moon. Moved by the work of director Yasujirô Ozu, Wim Wenders travels to Japan in search of the Tokyo seen in Ozu's films. The most prevalent of these recurring themes is: der angst (translated: Fear). Phillip is a roving German reporter who, after a chance encounter with an elusive American woman, reluctantly accepts temporary custody of little Alice. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. While on the ferry, a policeman spots them and informs Philip that the grandmother and Lisa have been found. The film is shot in black and white by Robby Müller with several long scenes without dialogue. [3] The influence of Handke's 1972 novel Short Letter, Long Farewell, also featuring an alienated German-speaker travelling across the United States, can be inferred from the film's use of clips from John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln, itself heavily referenced in the novel. Wenders went on to win a BAFTA Award in the Best Director category for Paris, Texas, which also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984. The Alice in the Cities Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. After returning to Europe, the innocent friendship between Winter and Alice grows as they travel together through various European cities on a quest for Alice's grandmother. In fact, he hasn't written anything substantial, seemingly hating the country and in the middle of a life crisis – he has only been taking lots of Polaroid pictures of the emptiness (in his mind). Watch for FREE. They filmed with a 1.66:1 wide-screen format, a common European format at the time, and drew it on the viewfinder. 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