Wings of Desire II: Symbols in the Film

4/19/2019

 Wings of Desire is heavy with symbolism, pointing towards mortality, spiritual existence, and Christ.

1). The armor from Marion's dream which falls onto Damiel after he has become human: this armor represents his previous immortality, his defense and protection. Its fall from the sky represents his journey from the spiritual realm to the earthly plane.

2). The blood from his injury represents Damiel's entrance into human existence. This fallen angel somewhat mirrors Christ's life on earth; He left the perfect sanctuary of Heaven to come to earth and in this journey was subjected to pain and death - mortality.

3). Damiel exchanges his armor for a coat. This coat serves as another symbol for his vulnerable human state.

4). At the show, Nick Cave sings of eternity and desire, mirroring Damiel and Marion's journey.

5). Damiel approaches Marion as a human, and Marion wears wing-shaped earrings. This seems to be her way of calling the man from her dreams and drawing him to her. It is also significant in that Damiel exchanged his "wings" for a human existence to be with her.

6). The cup Damiel offers Marion symbolizes a communion cup; as she drinks from it, the two join in a union together and become one.

7). At the end of the film, Marion twirls, seemingly weightless, on the rope extending towards the sky as Damiel remains on the ground, holding her secure. This beautifully symbolizes an axis mundi, through which Damiel once traveled to reach Marion and he now secures to allow her to experience this journey for herself.

I also kept comparing Damiel to the Little Mermaid throughout the film. At first he looked from the outside, wanting to be "part of [Marion's] world." He longed for the life he could not fully understand. Love finally enticed him to make the sacrifice of his present state and realm of existence to the danger and mysterium of human life. Once in this new life, he sought out the object of his affections and found joy in his new existence.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Film Techniques

The short film Bunny used many high angle overhead shots to depict the point of view of the moth. This perspective puts the audience in the position of the moth so we feel more sympathy when the bunny starts trying to kill it. Dutch angles, or canted angles were used primarily during the oven sequence to promote confusion and uncertainty since this is uncharted territory for the bunny and the audience. I thought that maybe the moth was the spirit of the bunny's husband because of the close-up of the moth on their wedding photo and the fact that the moth is so persistent in trying to get the bunny's attention.  In Harold and Maude, the first scene we viewed starts off in deep focus since we can see both the mother and young women talking in the foreground as well as Harold's "suicide" in the outside garden. The camera interacts mainly with Harold during this scene especially when he breaks the fourth wall by looking at it directly. This act acknowledges the pr...
Read more

Exploring Film Techniques

“Bunny” is a short animation that depicts the transformation of the earthly body to the celestial form as the protagonist transitions into the afterlife. The moth symbolizes the guide, and we get this perception because of the different techniques used to portray the moth. The moth has a musical theme that has a driving and whimsical rhythm, giving the viewer an association of mischief with the insect. The shots portray the moth interfering with the bunny who is hard at work. The viewer resonates with the bunny’s reaction that the moth is an annoyance because the bunny is often in the side of the frame, with an open space for the moth to appear. The viewer expects that the moth will enter the frame to fill that space, yet when it does, the viewer still gets the sense that the moth is an unwelcome presence because of the bunny’s reaction as well as the presumed stupidity of the moth. The moment of truth happens when the bunny enters the oven and the moth’s spiritual significance is rev...
Read more

Dead Man

Cold Fever and Dead Man both heavily rely on funeral rituals. Both main characters are slowly headed towards performing one, whether they know it or not. What struck me about William's Blake character is that he never seems to be aware of his slow approach towards death. He does not seem to realize he is mortally wounded, and perhaps if he could get back to civilization, he could survive. At the end of the film, William is still alive during his own funeral, making him an active participate in the ritual similar to Hirata's participation in his parents' burial rites. Both protagonists are in denial about something. For William, he is denial about his mortality, whereas Hirata is in denial about the importance and sacredness of a funeral ritual. Their journeys parallel each other in that regard, as they come closer to realizing what is truly important in their respective lives. By having Johnny Depp's character named after a famous English poet, it lets the character b...
Read more