Excepting Wings of Desire, this arty epic apocalyptic sci-fi/chase parable may be Wim Wenders' best work. The film features William Hurt visiting at least nine different countries, gathering images on a camera that records the electro-chemical act of seeing. He is pursued by a bounty hunter, several governments, a would-be lover and HER would-be lovers. Eventually the film ceases to be about a physical chase and focuses on man's pursuit of his dreams and the inner workings of his mind.
First, the weak point. This film is seemingly interminable. We've come to expect 2:45 hr movies to spice things up with gunplay or a sinking ship, and UTEOTW lacks such devices. Just as the characters reach Australia, the viewer feels the film is winding down. Wrong! There's another whole movie, just about! Nevertheless, to those who look past the superficial, and aren't plagued by the notoriously short American attention span, the film is a goldmine. Several characters are richly developed, and the many foreign locales help to retain the viewer's interest. The film's brightest star, however, is the soundtrack. So often, soundtracks nowadays are songs "from (the credits) and inspired by the motion picture," whatever that means. In this movie, the songs are hip, progressive and PERFECTLY integrated into the picture. In fact, I actually saw the film only after being really impressed by the cd. The musical talents include U2, REM, kd lang, Lou Reed, Depeche Mode and Peter Gabriel. The REM tune and others are unavailable in general release, and Gabriel's Blood of Eden is markedly different from that song on his Us album.
The thematic material regarding vision is not new (check out Oedipus Rex, for example) but the technological spin is unique. By that same token, Wender's '91 depiction of '99 is not so far off the mark: Satellite automobile navigational systems, sophisticated tracking devices and India as a growing nuclear threat are all presaged in this work. Again, if you are patient, enjoy attention to details and relish psycho-philosophical pursuits mixed into your chase scenes, this film is a winner all the way around, and makes great viewing for any Y2K-themed film festivals!. (also check out Strange Days!)
First, the weak point. This film is seemingly interminable. We've come to expect 2:45 hr movies to spice things up with gunplay or a sinking ship, and UTEOTW lacks such devices. Just as the characters reach Australia, the viewer feels the film is winding down. Wrong! There's another whole movie, just about! Nevertheless, to those who look past the superficial, and aren't plagued by the notoriously short American attention span, the film is a goldmine. Several characters are richly developed, and the many foreign locales help to retain the viewer's interest. The film's brightest star, however, is the soundtrack. So often, soundtracks nowadays are songs "from (the credits) and inspired by the motion picture," whatever that means. In this movie, the songs are hip, progressive and PERFECTLY integrated into the picture. In fact, I actually saw the film only after being really impressed by the cd. The musical talents include U2, REM, kd lang, Lou Reed, Depeche Mode and Peter Gabriel. The REM tune and others are unavailable in general release, and Gabriel's Blood of Eden is markedly different from that song on his Us album.
The thematic material regarding vision is not new (check out Oedipus Rex, for example) but the technological spin is unique. By that same token, Wender's '91 depiction of '99 is not so far off the mark: Satellite automobile navigational systems, sophisticated tracking devices and India as a growing nuclear threat are all presaged in this work. Again, if you are patient, enjoy attention to details and relish psycho-philosophical pursuits mixed into your chase scenes, this film is a winner all the way around, and makes great viewing for any Y2K-themed film festivals!. (also check out Strange Days!)