Cassiel(Otto Sandler)decides to follow Damiel's path and become human, but realizes that this world differs greatly from where he came from. His supposed "nemesis" is a shady character named Emit Flesti(Willem Dafoe playing him very oddly)who can communicate through both worlds..he talks with Cassiel's "angel partner" Raphaela(Nastassja Kinski)and can also chat away with mortals. He seems to have this particular interest in time and time seems to be very prevalent in how Cassiel views this brand new world. The world to Cassiel can be a curious beast..he starts out as any new babe in a brand new world by slowly adjusting to his surroundings. He visits several mortals he viewed as an angel in the other existence taking what little he knew from them incorporating everything into his new man..Karl Engel. As Karl, he has a hard time making headway in the mortal world, at one point deep in an alcoholic daze, but meets a corrupt businessman who changes him into a whole different person. Money begins to slowly corrupt Karl who is entering a world of crime with his boss that may ruin his goal set when he even decided to come to our world..to try and bring humanity to a cold and sad world. That seems to be Flesti's desire(as he often tells Raphaela who often begs him to let Karl alone)for Cassiel..that his Karl descend in this mortal world finding out that he doesn't belong here and should return to his angel duties.
This film is quite a contrast to "Wings of Desire" for which it's a sequel. While Damiel's entrance to our mortal realm was indeed because of love for his beloved Marion(the lovely Solveig Dommartin)for whom he often shadowed, Cassiel's decision came because he wanted to make a difference..bring joy to a disheartened world. But, corruption, greed, and other vices may put a damper on those plans. The film, through Wenders direction, lovingly meanders with the German and American languages often mixed together as characters speak. There's less of a melancholic tone to this one where "WoD" was centered in a location of West Berlin before the wall came down and many's hopes and dreams seemed nil. Like in the first film, the camera offers a POV shot of how Cassiel flies, and there's the drifting between B&W and Color to show the changing of worlds for which the angels and mortals inhibit.
This film is quite a contrast to "Wings of Desire" for which it's a sequel. While Damiel's entrance to our mortal realm was indeed because of love for his beloved Marion(the lovely Solveig Dommartin)for whom he often shadowed, Cassiel's decision came because he wanted to make a difference..bring joy to a disheartened world. But, corruption, greed, and other vices may put a damper on those plans. The film, through Wenders direction, lovingly meanders with the German and American languages often mixed together as characters speak. There's less of a melancholic tone to this one where "WoD" was centered in a location of West Berlin before the wall came down and many's hopes and dreams seemed nil. Like in the first film, the camera offers a POV shot of how Cassiel flies, and there's the drifting between B&W and Color to show the changing of worlds for which the angels and mortals inhibit.