ALICE IN THE CITIES (Alice in den Stadten) (1974) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Wim Wenders

Written by - Wim Wenders, Veith von Furstenberg

Starring - Yella Rottlander, Rudiger Vogler, Lisa Kreuzer

"At the time of making Alice in the Cities, Wim Wenders had grown quite disenchanted and frustrated with filmmaking in general, particularly after his underwhelming cinematic translation of The Scarlet Letter, which he himself was not happy with. He had even considered quitting altogether.

Thus, we can see the similarities between him and the leading male character in Alice in the Cities, which was also the first of his road movie trilogy. The story is that of a German photo reporter working in America, sorely lacking inspiration and feeling a little estranged. His life takes an unexpected turn when out of the blue, he finds himself the guardian of a little German girl whose mother has seemingly abandoned in his care. Together they cross the country in search of her grandparents' home.

However, all the whole, it feels as if the journey mattered more than the destination, and the feeling is genuine also because of the exciting and impulsive filmmaking approach which Wenders had decided to use for his production. He had constructed it, in fact, like a jouney more than a film, and allowed impromptu writing and improdisation to naturally affect its creative course.

This approach not only enhances the tender and sentimental side of both the narrative and the bond that develops between the two leading characters, but also opens the cinematic form to a true representation of delight of travelling in a way that had arguably never been seen before. Rather than achieving this with grit, Wenders chooses to retain a timeless and to some extent even traditionalist and nostalgic style, which is not least of all successful due to the wonderful black and white photography that is employed. Alice in the Cities is like a modern neo-realist fairytale. But at the same time, it is the very serious story of a man confronted with real life responsibilities and coming of age. An unexpected confrontation with maturity, as inspired by a little, helpless child. It is a charming story of redemption, universal and yet taking advantage of the widespread American soil. 

In terms of its importance as a film, it is an exciting experimentation that not only contributed greatly in giving Wenders the confidence of establishing his own voice in the cinematic landscape, but also went on to influence the works of countless other filmmakers.

Drama, West Germany