'Wings of Desire' - High-Def Digest Review

[Attebery]

Josh has reviewed 'Wings of Desire.' This is a true masterpiece. This Criterion Blu-ray has exceptional video, audio, and extras. Highly recommended.

Full review here:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/2578/wingsofdesire.html

[Dack]

Great review, Josh.

I've really been meaning to check this out, as it sounds like a very unique and intriguing film.

[cheez avenger]

Awesome!



I'm behind on my CC's.

[Marty in SLC]

This has to be one of, if not my most highly anticipated blu ray release. One of my all time favorite films, If a case can be made for Poetry as film or Film as poetry, this is certainly that film. I can hardly wait to get my copy and pop it in.
Nice review, Josh. I only hope that this new Criterion re-issue marks a whole new re-awakening to this modern masterpiece by Wim Wenders.
( by the way, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the truly awful american remake of "Wings". As bad a 're-imagining' of a film as has ever been produced. An embarrassment for all those who took part )
peace,
Marty S.

[scarabaeus]

Sounds great, I'll be checking this out too.

Btw., "Himmel" translates to both, "Sky" and "Heaven". That double meaning is difficult to convey in english...

[ack_bak]

Thanks for the review Josh, I am very interested in watching this on Blu-Ray and this is in my "to own" list.

[andrew markworthy]

The review mentions streakiness in some of the black and white shots. It's perhaps worth mentioning that in the helicopter shots, it's sometimes due to blur from the chopper blades themselves getting caught in the shot. But who cares? it can't take away from the beauty of this superb film.

One other thing - the pie fight shown in the extras was never seriously intended as the end of the movie. It was just a way of winding down at the end of shooting. Wim Wenders is being deliberately tongue in cheek in his commentary and drops a heavy hint that it was all a joke at the end of his commentary.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by andrew markworthy

The review mentions streakiness in some of the black and white shots. It's perhaps worth mentioning that in the helicopter shots, it's sometimes due to blur from the chopper blades themselves getting caught in the shot. But who cares? it can't take away from the beauty of this superb film.

Yes, I noticed the helicopter rotors, but that isn't what I was referring to.

In any case, I wholeheartedly agree that this is a minor issue.

[erack]

Black and white is the intended look for most of the first 1.5 hours of the movie? The US and UK DVDs had it in sepia. Changes the tone quite a bit IMO.

[Josh Z]

Originally Posted by erack

Black and white is the intended look for most of the first 1.5 hours of the movie? The US and UK DVDs had it in sepia. Changes the tone quite a bit IMO.

The MGM DVD had a lot of color temperature problems. Sometimes the gray scale was greenish. Other times it was reddish and more like sepia. Criterion's transfer fixes that.

[KingSize]

I just watched the Wings of Desire Criterion Collection Blu-ray last night and it’s a fantastic transfer, there’s just one problem with Wings of Desire and thats the colour of the subtitles.
The sub’s colour is an off-white/grey, which for a full frame black and white movie like this means they are really difficult to read at times in the lighter scenes of the movie.

[RoadLizard]

I have this in my Nutflix que and Im curious to see it now. Although, good reviews as we all know dont amount to shit. Im catiously optimistic.

[El Guapo]

Hi guys,
can anyone tell me whether the subtiltes can be switched off?
The review only says that they default to English. I'm very tempted to order this disc, but being German myself I could not bear to watch this with the German subtitles switched on...
Thanks and best regards,
Oliver

[abbazappaplant]

I'm pretty sure none of the subtitles on criterion collection discs are forced, so you'll be able to watch it without subs!

[El Guapo]

Originally Posted by abbazappaplant

I'm pretty sure none of the subtitles on criterion collection discs are forced, so you'll be able to watch it without subs!

Well, that's what I would have expected from them. But then again: their DVDs used to be region free, so I was a bit surprised to see that this Blu-ray is region locked

Well, I took the plunge anyway, because I don't know how much longer Amazon will keep up their current offer, which - even with the postage to Germany - will make the disc cheaper for me than the average new release here in Germany...

Best regards,
Oliver