Wim Wenders’ Road Magic: Alice in the Cities

The Drishti Film Club, under the Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication, organised the screening of German language movie, Alice in the Cities (1974) as part of its weekly film screenings on Friday, August 2, 2024 at the DEMMC auditorium. The film, written and directed by Wim Wenders, is the first in his road trilogy, followed by Wrong Move (1975) and Kings of the Road (1976). Although this is his fourth film, Wenders considers it his true debut, as it was through this project that he discovered the genre of road movies. This film has become one of those defining works of Wenders’ career.

The story follows a German journalist, played by Rüdiger Vogler, as he travels across America in search of a news story. On this rather uneventful trip, he meets a mother and her daughter, Alice, portrayed by Yella Rottländer. When circumstances leave him alone with Alice, he takes on the responsibility of taking her home. Together, they journey across Germany in search of her grandmother. The story brings together a child and an adult in strange circumstances, but bound by the familiarity of longing and belonging.

After the screening, audience engaged in a discussion led by Dr. Radhika Khanna, Head i/c of the Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication and Director i/c of the Educational Multimedia Research Centre. The viewers praised Wenders’ skillful use of light and shadow in this black-and-white film, particularly the cinematography. The photographs taken by the protagonist were in monochrome yet full of life. The audience also commented on the realistic and unpretentious dynamic between the journalist and Alice. Their connection and interactions draw viewers into the film, with the photobooth scene standing out as a memorable summary of their relationship.

The film is as warm as it is cool and one of the calmest of road movies. Wenders’ ability to tell a story through mundane places, be it is set in America or Amsterdam—captures the essence of each location and translates it onto the screen, embodying the true spirit of a road movie.

-By Shifa E

-Edited by Rupam Shukla