Wrong Move (1975) User Reviews

Peter and Wim win

[christian94 · 8/10 · 2 May 2016]

Wim Wenders and writer Peter Handke team up a decade before "Berurin Tenshi no Uta" Wings of desire (1987)(Ailes du desir) and 4 decades before The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (2016) based on Peter's play in French to premiere at Cannes this month.

It is shorter and simpler than Wings of Desire and it feels as though the whole movie is almost one take, one moment, one long reflection on the same theme of loss and loneliness, perhaps longing and love. It is poetic and philosophical, but also human. It succeeds in asking tough questions and not given easy answers. It understands human complexity and perhaps perplexity facing an uncontrollable, sometimes unsatisfying life.

Momentary solace and camaraderie soon dissolves as things fall apart naturally, casually and necessarily. Much more down to Earth than somehow esoteric Wings of Desire and has a direct impact on the viewer even if often dark and detached beyond the light-hearted and hypnotic beginning.

A interesting find, and perhaps one of the best movies of 1975, winning 6 German Film Awards including a deserving best direction, best screenplay and best cinematography by Robby Müller who shines on various occasion and gives a cohesive visual feel. I will look up Alice in the Cities (1974) and Kings of the Road (1976) to see see if Wender achieved similar success. Let's hope Peter Handke again gives substance to Wim Wenders now that Wenders is tackling 3 fiction films in a row after dedicating a decade and a half to creating captivating documentaries starting with Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club (1999) and even better recent offerings Pina (2011) and The Salt of the Earth (2014).

the road seems to go nowhere

[dromasca · 6/10 · 24 January 2019]

Time does not always work in favor of movies. The second film I saw in Wim Wenders' retrospective at the local cinematheque was' Wrong Move' (the original title in German is' Falsche Bewegung'), which belongs to the cycle of three 'road movies' created by the director at the beginning of his career in the 1970s. It's one of those cases where as a film lover you can recognize many of the cultural ideas and landmarks on which the film is based and you can identify signs of the director's subsequent evolution. However, there is a lack of vibration and even of a great deal of interest, since the problems of post-war Germany are largely out of date and the style of dialogues combining existentialism with Goethe's writing experiences does not resonate in any way for the viewers of today.

Those who read Goethe know that Wilhelm Meister is the hero one of his novels in which the hero, a young writer in the making, crosses the future of Germany from north to south on a journey of intellectual initiation and self-discovery, trying to find the literary and emotional resources necessary for his profession. The action is shifted to the Germany of the 1970s when young Wilhelm Meister receives as a present a similar journey from his mother. He gets on his way and meets some bizarre and especially alienated characters typical of a society that had not completely exited the post-war trauma. The accumulation of information and emotion is rendered in the film through a combination of slow action, dialogues that are actually more monologues, and off-screen text probably extracted from Goethe's book. It is a combination that may have worked and may have been really interesting in the movies of the '60s or '70s (used intensely by Antonioni for example) but which in this film has a dormant effect.

Yet, there are a few good reasons why this film deserves to be seen. First of all for the two formidable actresses that appear in the cast. For Nastassja Kinski , still at teenage age and before getting the name under which she became famous, it was the debut film. For Hanna Schygulla, at the peak of her beauty, it was probably the first important role. Both play splendidly in roles that fit them perfectly. The problem is that each of the actors seems to play their roles separately. There is a story in the film that includes an ambiguous romantic triangle, but it lacks any vibration, perhaps because of the wooden acting of the actor in the lead role (Rüdiger Vogler). The existentialist type of the characters has real motives in the history of Germany at that time, but for today's spectators, especially if they are not familiar with that history, their behavior is difficult to understand. The feeling of verbosity at certain moments is accentuated by the slow pace of action in the intermediate scenes. In the absence of many obsolete cultural and historical landmarks, 'Wrong Move' does not say much to the contemporary film viewers.

On the road again

[gizmomogwai · 8/10 · 4 June 2016]

The second film in Wim Wenders' so-called "Road Movie Trilogy" (about as artificial a "trilogy" as the three Ingmar Bergman films arbitrarily lumped together under that banner), now available on The Criterion Collection's YouTube channel, Wrong Move (1975) starts off on a markedly different note than its predecessor, Alice in the Cities (1974). It becomes clear, in fact, that despite supposedly representing a trilogy, Wrong Move is a distinctly darker brand of Wenders, less whimsically surreal. It starts not by Rudiger Vogler singing "Under the Boardwalk" but by him punching out his windows, which can be taken as a sign of suicidal tendencies.

The film continues on its dark tone while introducing its surreal elements. It is essentially a story of strangers whose lives randomly collide, and they stick together as a group for a while. The weirdness is soberly found in them discussing their dreams, and in one being a mute street performer. There is more use of blood, with the film evoking the story of a saint in the process. Vogler's character, more of a nihilist than his one in Alice in the Cities, seriously contemplates killing and comes close to it, in a scene rather intense on its first viewing.

Wrong Move is at once a film that shares commonalities with Wenders' other works like Wings of Desire and Alice, but is also worlds apart. In the process, it finds its own unique voice and is a satisfying experience.

less accessible outside of it's historical context

[daydreamblvr1210 · 7 August 2004]

Wenders' road movies of the 70s have a charm that makes them accessible to many viewers, yet are often linked by the less accessible themes of alienation and detachment. It is an interesting dichotomy and one that comes to focus with this film.

Political and cultural pre-determinism are not as easily digested outside the German point of view in the 70s, yet it is a common theme amongst Wenders films as well as (arguably) Herzog & Fassbinder (New German cinema contemporaries) . One does not have to be a philosophy or poli-sci major to enjoy this film however. The fact that Wrong Move is freely based on Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship" is easily overlooked by the casual viewer - but if viewed as an allegorical narrative, like Goethe's work, parts of the film come together and make this obtuse, personal work by Wenders more interesting.

The characters Wilhelm (Rudiger Volger) meets during his trip represent ideological sensibilities of 70s Germany. Mignon played by the teen Nastassja Kinski represents the youth and future of Germany (mute, trusting yet undemanding). Laertes represents the idealism of old Germany, and considers himself a martyr for the Nazi cause. Wilhelm and Therese (Hanna Schygulla) are between these 2 and take action to liberate one from the other. All is told in an un-naturalistic style that only works in some cases. The long (almost single take) walk up the hillside by the river are a good example of where the film shines. The photography by Robby Müller is consistently excellent here.

It's a difficult film but rewarding to those who take time to understand it from it's original historical and ideological context. Worth seeing for the cinematography of Müller and the presence of Hanna Schygulla and Nastassja Kinski.

Sad and sombre movie.

[LW-08854 · 7/10 · 27 December 2023]

A slow, thoughtful foreign movie with some beautiful cinematography. The audience follows our lead character on a journey, seemingly to nowhere, expect an exploration of a greater philosophical understanding of the human life. The film also marks the debut of Nastassja Kinski I believe. The film is full of lots of dialogue and conversations pondering the existential crisis of man and the post war guilt of Germany. The locations chosen for the movie do work quite well and a couple of bits are genuinely sad.

Another thing I liked about this was the costumes. In a sense this is a sort of road trip movie but not the usual kind of comedic one.

An excellent examination of post=war Germany: A Masterpiece

[Mighty E · 10/10 · 4 September 1999]

"Falsche Bewegung," (In the US called "The Wrong Move") is one of the finest films ever produced in Germany and certainly of of film guru Wim Wender's best works. An analysis of the sentiments, both serious and humorous, of the citizens of Post-war Germany, the feelings of guilt, loss, anger, and misdirection is so clearly and frighteningly distributed to the audience it really brings you to thought and to tears. A masterpiece.

1970's existentialism still cuts the 21st century mustard

[joachimokeefe · 9/10 · 3 November 2013]

Basically the story of a man who finds that six days of travel doesn't broaden his mind. Made on a tiny budget, on a very tight four-week shoot, TWM punches well above its weight. Full of incident and drama, but none of it is related to anything but the general theme of "life is sh*t and then you die" - which you soon get used to; and some of it's actually very funny. A group of six people drift together, then drift apart. All of them are disenfranchised from politics, society and love, and the dialogue is typically Pinteresque: long pauses, non-sequiturs and deep feelings not being expressed, just like real-life dialogue.

Thought-provoking and haunting, beautifully filmed and acted,, TWM is a great "mood movie". You may find it frustrating if you're looking for resolution or even logic, but the observations about life and people in general are as true as you'll get. Woody Allen, eat your heart out.

One of my least favorite Wenders

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 22 March 2016]

"Falsche Bewegung" or "False Movement" is a German film from slightly over 40 years ago written and directed by Wim Wenders. The main character is player by Rüdiger Vogler and just like him there are several actors and crew members in here that Wenders worked with in more movies before and after this one. Being a fan of the duo's collaboration on "Alice in the Cities", I must say I was a bit disappointed here. In my opinion, Vogler is not really one who can play aggressive characters very impressively, like for example Brauss in "Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter". That's why I felt that the final scene did not appear very realistic.

The atmosphere and tone is similar to other movies by the filmmaker behind this one here. It is the depiction of life in a realistic manner with rarely something happening that is out of the ordinary. And I felt that this film dragged more than other Wenders films. Yes there were also some good moments occasionally and the acting is pretty convincing most of the time too, but as a whole it did not feel sufficient for a film that runs for almost 100 minutes, even if that is certainly among Wenders' shortest full feature films. All in all, I do not recommend the watch or at least not as one of the first choices if you are interested in getting into Wenders' body of work. Check out some of the other films I mentioned in this review here too. As for "Falsche Bewegung", I give it a thumbs-down.

"The Wrong Move:" is it superficial or deep?

[fookoo · 9/10 · 14 September 2003]

"The Wrong Move" is essentially a plot less film about loneliness that follows a late twenty-ish year old, blond German writer-to-be for six days. He is someone who is in search of something. The film is in German with English subtitles and is unusual in that there are occasional first person voice over/commentaries by the principal character by which we know exactly what he is thinking. The film is set in the early 70's with a short audio track of American rock that dates the movie. Through his first person commentary, the writer freely admits that he is not very good at observing people nor does he like people, which leads one to wonder what kind of writer is he? Because "The Wrong Move" is a Wim Wender's film, one inevitably notices the carefully composed shots with meticulous attention to detail. This brief odyssey is a more sophisticated version of candid camera in which the confused writer encounters a handful of people. The film, then, is about his interactions with these people. These characters appear randomly, interact, and disperse.

This is probably Nastassja Kinski's first film. If not, then the likelihood of ever watching whatever preceded "The Wrong Move" is close to zero. Long out of print, "The Wrong Move" was only available on scarce, hard to find VHS tape that can be exorbitant in cost, but now is one of eight DVD's in the Wim Wenders Collection Vol 2. It is extremely unfortunate that the DVD has been enhanced for pseudo wide screen, meaning that the original 4:3 image has been chopped, losing some of the image of the original VHS tape. The film was low budget and has attained near cult following among some. Nastassja was a whole thirteen years old when "The Wrong Move" was filmed. This was the first of three films that she has made with Wim Wenders with the other two being: the legendary 1984 "Paris, Texas" and the powerful 1993 "Faraway, So Close." In "The Wrong Move," Nastassja is cast as a mute - meaning that she doesn't speak, has no lines of dialog, and doesn't use anything resembling sign language. Her on screen presence is then all facial expression and body language. In some scenes she looks like a scruffy, scrawny twenty year old.

Other times, she has the face of a twelve year old. Sometimes she is a well made up teenager. Sometimes not. But there are always the tennis shoes and the way that she walks that underscores that she is a very young adolescent girl. In the hands of Wim Wenders, her performance is fluid and natural. She and her much older male companion/guardian make their living with Nastassja as a street performer - one that is not highly skilled and in some respects awkward. That has to do more with her young age, rather than a lack of physical skills. Nastassja is a juggler and not a very good one as she usually drops one of the balls. One time she stands on her head, another time she does cart wheels. Eight years later in "Exposed" this gymnastic talent would be on full display in a very sexy, solo performance in front of an all seeing mirror. There is one particular memorable scene in which the writer and the band of strangers are walking through a neighborhood street, observing the interchanges between residents on the roof top of the buildings. The timing is exquisite, the look on Nastassja's face is memorable - but that is Wim Wenders and is an indication of the potential first rate talent in this thirteen year old girl. It is no accident that Nastassja is in so many scenes and some of those appearances are very brief. Even in nothing scenes in which she is not doing anything out of the ordinary, Nastassja is focused - not sleeping or bored. Peter Sykes, the director of "To the Devil...a Daughter," would later see "The Wrong Move," remember her, and later on in need of a young German actress would hire Nastassja.

It is all to easy to see "The Wrong Move" as a very superficial movie. Even the translation of the title presents a problem. Should it be "Wrong Movement?" "False Movement?" "wrong" and "false" imply that there is a "right" move or that one has strayed from the "right" path and is in search of it. Is there a "right" path? Is there a "wrong" path? What is the path? Does it make a difference? These are the types of questions that go to the core of the human experience. There is depth here, but only for those who can "see" into it.

Wenders weakest so far

[alansabljakovic-39044 · 4/10 · 13 June 2020]

Wrong Move wasn't engaing enough for me to actually care about 4 people traveling, talking and wanting to kill each other. The cinematography is the only great thing that stands out, everything else doesn't really hold up well.

A masterpiece

[Onyx-10 · 18 June 2001]

Many people spring to life when expressing their contempt for Wim Wenders' films, pushing themselves toward new heights of eloquence...and for that reason I usually keep my admiration for him to myself but this movie and the Goalie's Anxiety (not the easiest film to watch) really hit the nail on the head. Incredible portraits of people (in this case men) who have itches that they just can't scratch! In one scene the "hero" listens to the ex-Nazi make some crack about Jesse Owens getting the gold medal and he says,"..so you wouldn't have stood on the platform next to a black man?" and I thought, "I would give anything to see an American movie with a conversation as half as real as this!" You think Wenders is boring? Ok, fine, he's boring. But American movies are phony, like Mcdonald's french fries, they're treated with formaldahyde to maintain their "natural" color.

Watching the movie is like travelling yourself

[martijn-56 · 10/10 · 24 August 2019]

Just a wonderful experience watching another road movie bij Wenders. This is a movie you can also enjoy without going into references and metaphors like existentialism, post-war Germany etc. Greet texts, deep insights and a colourful characters just make it wonderful to experience, like someone is reading a great story to you. The film itself seems like one big take. Just like any travel story, it is full of surprises and twists and turns, with an no-easy-answer-end that is unpredictable and yet inevitable. A relief in these days of uninspired block buster sequels!

Wim Wenders moves German cinema forward

[lee_eisenberg · 9/10 · 18 February 2022]

Wim Wenders was one of the major figures in the New German Cinema of the 1970s, along with Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbender. In 1974, Wenders released "Alice in the Cities", which became the first installation in his unofficial Road Movie trilogy. He followed it up with "Falsche Bewegung" ("Wrong Move" in English), loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship".

Rüdiger Volger plays an aspiring writer who travels throughout Germany - at the time West Germany - and meets an assortment of people. He and actress Therese (Hanna Schygulla) represent the era's contemporary Germany, contrasted with the old Germany in the form of Laertes (Hans Christian Blech) and the future Germany in the form of Mignon (Nastassja Kinski in her debut). Laertes reveals his past, while Mignon never speaks (possibly to mean that the future remains unknown).

I understand that the movie is only a rough adaptation of Goethe's novel and that it makes sense in its historical context, reflecting the German zeitgeist of the 1970s. Even if you don't pick up on that, the movie is still a treat. The whole walk along the road has to be one of the most cerebral scenes that I've ever witnessed in a movie.

All in all, it's a fine piece of work. I'm now eager to see the conclusion of the Road Movie trilogy. In the meantime, I recommend Wenders's movies "The American Friend", "Paris, Texas", "Until the End of the World" and "Buena Vista Social Club".

the wrong film

[andrabem · 5/10 · 15 May 2007]

I've noticed that many reviews about "art films" are written by people who have already decided to like them. This is the only way for me to explain why so many uninspired films are unavoidably hailed as master pieces - maybe it is because of the "artistic patina" that covers them, and Wim Wenders, after all, has got himself a name.

For me it's a very simple question: Did I like the film? It doesn't matter who directed it, or anything like it. Well, I THINK didn't like the film. Why? I'll try to answer it.

"Falsche Bewegung" is based freely on Goethe's "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre" (another reason why "art film" buffs SHOULD like this film). Wilhelm is tired of life and wants to become a writer. He leaves his mother and starts on a self-discovery journey. On the train, he meets an old athlete of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and his assistant Mignon, a mute acrobat (lovely Natassja Kinky). During a train stop he sees a woman staring out of a window of another train, Therese (Hanna Schygulla). In a road house they will know an amateur metaphysical poet. And these characters will unite and travel together searching for the meaning of life - reflexions on politics, the meaning of life, love, the need for action, metaphysical poetry... but no emotional links are established among the characters. Maybe it is because this film is seen through Wilhelm's eyes and all he really wants is to write a book.

The film floats in emptiness - what moves the characters and makes them stick together remains a mystery - after many deep conversations, melancholy, and nothing else, I was really tired, and I almost decided to call it a day. But I gritted my teeth and watched the film to the end.

When the film ends, the group has disbanded, each goes his/her own ways and Wilhelm is left alone brooding that he had made again "the wrong move", because he couldn't establish any emotional links with anyone. Emptiness, grey skies, hopelessness...

Now, beware you "art film" buff - if you want to compare Wim Wenders with Antonioni or Bergman, you're on the wrong track. In Antonioni or Bergmans films, there's is loneliness and alienation, all right, but their films portray deep emotional troubles that come from human relationships, while this film, in particular, shows nothing at all, just emptiness followed by empty words. Nothing plus nothing equals nothing.

Wilhelm doesn't like people.

[SteveSkafte · 5/10 · 27 June 2010]

"The Wrong Movement" is the second of three films by Wim Wenders about a disaffected man (in each case played by Rüdiger Vogler) searching for himself out on the open road. Unlike the first (Alice in the Cities) and third (Kings of the Road) films, this one is infinitely less accessible. It's the talkiness that brings it down in the end. Each character seems especially in touch with their own highly specific brand of angst. It's almost too easy to identify with, all the abstract alienation. We all feel it sometimes, but do we actually spend so much time speaking of it? This depiction of dark truth doesn't make it a good story, only an honest one.

The actors are good (Nastassja Kinski plays a mute, in her first role), but the characters are cold. The dialogue is impressive, yet bereft of all beauty. On some inherent level, it's apparent that all the characters deeply despise one another. Wilhelm himself testifies at the very start to his dislike of people. Wim Wenders seems to be doing very much the same. Only, this time, it doesn't make for a very good film. Its shorter length is almost a relief.

Early existentialist Wender's film

[lazarillo · 8 March 2014]

This early Wim Wenders film is about a frustrated writer who is encouraged by his mother to take a train trip to Bonn. On the way he meets an odd assortment of characters including a former concentration camp guard who is now a street musician, a mute teenage acrobat, a semi-famous actress, a hilarious overweight would-be poet, and the latter's "uncle", a depressed suicidal recluse. The film is rather talky and philosophical, frequently meditating on the nature of artistic creation itself. It has kind of morose atmosphere to it like Wender's later film "Paris, Texas", but without the redemptive ending. For lack of a better word I would call it existentialist. Like "Paris, Texas" it's kind of an existentialist road movie except that the characters travel by train.

The only recognizable actor in this is a young Nastassia Kinski. This isn't nearly as sexy as one of her late 70's/early 80's roles (but like "To the Devil a Daughter" a year later, it's probably sexier than it ought to be). Still, whereas most male directors at the time were mostly interested in undressing Kinski (both on and off screen), Wenders can be credited at least with making her a more respected actress, mostly with her later role in "Paris, Texas", but also to a lesser extent with her debut role in this.

I can see why people find this kind of slow-going and perhaps a little depressing. But I found it quite interesting and actually enjoyed it.

Boring

[zetes · 5/10 · 16 November 2014]

Rudiger Vogler plays a dull, young man who still lives with his mother. He wishes to be a writer, and his mother gives him a push at it when she kicks him out, forcing him to experience the world on his own. This is kind of an abstract narrative. Vogler drifts along picking up new companions, who then accompany him and chat with him on long walks. It's interesting at first, but, frankly, the talk gets pretty boring after a while and it never really goes anywhere. A visual cue in the very first scene should have tipped me off about what I was getting into: William Faulkner's sophomore novel, Mosquitoes, is propped up in an awkward position against a wall so we're sure to see it. Not many people have read that one, and for good reason: it isn't any good. But it follows a very similar structure, as it's about a group of banal people who talk a lot. The story itself is purportedly based on a Goethe novel. Hanna Schygulla and a very young and adorable Natassja Kinski co-star (I kind of suspected Kinski was extremely young, but she was only 14 when the film premiered and she appears topless in the film, which is quite icky).

Wim Wenders did a lot better over the years

[MarcoParzivalRocha · 5/10 · 19 March 2021]

Wilhelm, a peculiar writer, travels through West Germany, with a group of odd people.

It's based, very lightly, on Goethe's novel "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship", published in 1795.

Wrong Move is about existentialism (the human subject and his perception of the world, which in his eyes is absurd, causing confusion and doubts, in a very summarized way), which can, right away, make a lot of people given up on the film. The plot unfolds between unexpected and shocking events, and philosophical dialogues, that aren't exactly elegant.

Given the subjects portraited here, it can be disappointing for being too superficial, or pleasing for being very profound, everything depends on the viewer's point of view.

It's the debut film of Nastassja Kinski (Paris, Texas), with a dose of controversy (one of the scenes in the film caused a small riot on the industry).

In my final thought about it, Wrong Move is empty, and like a train on its last ride, it takes forever to reach its destination.

An interesting journey -- worth seeing once.

[meadow-3 · 22 September 1999]

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.

And, to be honest with you, I haven't seen "The Wrong Move" in many years.

That said, I possibly lacked the life experience(s) to understand the unspoken message. But I did find the "freeflow" aspect of the journey interesting. Certain visual images along the way were filmed matter-of-fact, like Truffaut's characters who appear dramatically and yet, have no actual connection to the story.

I remember feeling unsatisfied with the film's resolution. (How the "journey" was resolved). But then again, perhaps it was unrealistic to expect anything else.

Self-Indulging Self-Portrait

[jazzest · 5/10 · 20 January 2004]

While it may be cliche to say that The Wrong Move is director Wenders' self-portrait, his sense-of-lost in contemporary Germany will be easily trailed through writer-wannabe protagonist Wilhelm's fruitless journey to encounter and interact with new lover, friend and enemy. Cinematographer Robby Muller, who would be internationally acclaimed a few years later, is on his way, exploring amazing long takes in the conversation-while-walking scene towards the end. European contemporary classical soundtrack sounds appropriate but obsolete.

Aptly titled

[jefferino · 4/10 · 2 December 2017]

Wrong move, indeed, and currently rated way too high above (7.1 as I write this). Wenders is one of my favorite directors, but this is the weak link in his Road Trilogy. Since the three movies are not directly connected, you can skip right from "Alice in the Cities" (wonderful) to "Kings of the Road" (a masterpiece).