"Der Himmel über Berlin" and "M"

Among the movies I watched were "Der Himmel über Berlin" and "M." "Der Himmel über Berlin," directed by Wim Wenders, was called "Wings of Desire" in the U.S.A. "City of Angels" was an American filmed inspired by this film. Bruno Ganz played an angel among many in Berlin. They wander around the city unseen except by some children. They sometimes touch the lives of the people they pass. Damiel, played by Bruno Ganz, falls in love with a trapeze artist in a small circus. He longs to experience human senses, but in order to know love and experience these senses he has to become mortal. Peter Falk appears as himself. He is in Berlin making a movie. When he is close to angels he feels their presence without being able to see them. Damiel decides to become human. After his transformation he encounters Peter Falk on the location where he is filming, and we learn that Peter Falk had been an angel who had decided to become human. In the film there are glimpses into the lives of the people touched by the angels.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform songs in a club in the film. It is a beautifully made film. Mostly it is in black and white with occasional color.

"M" is a classic psychological thriller that was directed by Fritz Lang in Germany in 1931. Peter Lorre played serial killer who has been killing children. There almost no music in the movie. Hans Beckert, the character played by Peter Lorre, whistles a tune when he is luring the children he is about to kill. The absence of other music gives his whistling a chilling aspect. The sets in the film are stark. There is no violence seen on the screen. It is a very suspenseful film. Peter Lorre had a very expressive face, and he was very successful in showing interior madness in this film. This movie is also a very strong social commentary. It is a film that is truly a classic.