Dixie Peach: Friday Shuffle - Angels Among Us Edition

I believe that angels exist. I don't believe they're people who have died and have gone to heaven. I don't believe they've ever been people. What I believe is that they are messengers and helpers of God. And I believe that angels are all around us. They don't interfere in our lives unless God instructs them to - otherwise they observe us and can hear our thoughts. They hear our thoughts without judgment and perhaps without even full understanding of them because they're not human and never were human. They can't add to it their own interpretation of our thoughts because they have no similar personal experience with which to relate. However I think angels can pick up on our emotions and I believe that they have a way to comfort us or let us know that we are not alone in the world.

The film Der Himmel über Berlin, known in English as Wings of Desire, is about angels on Earth. However instead of the film being about people whose lives are touched by angels, it's more about angels whose lives are touched by humans. In the film we see that they are indeed all around unseen by humans (except, it seems, they can be seen by children) and while they see us living our lives they can't experience life. One angel seeks to change that. If you've seen City of Angles you've seen a remake of Wings of Desire but there are few similarities between the two films.

This movie is one of my all-time favorites. It's like a love song. A poem. It's a tapestry woven from the lives of the humans observed by the angels we get to know. Watching is sweet and comforting, like rolling a warm caramel around in your mouth. It's not one of those films where the moral is "Life is sweet/short/good so you'd better appreciate it." The lives we see aren't necessarily good or fulfilling or even worthwhile, but they're being lived and experienced and it's what the angels, who are eternal, can never experience.

I've only watched it in German (and I always watch it with the subtitles on because the thoughts you hear from the humans can be a bit whispery and indistinct) and I would highly recommend that if you watch it that you watch it in German. It's really made to be experienced in original language and I think the segments with Peter Falk wouldn't have the same impact if you weren't watching it in German. And if you've gone through life thinking that German is a harsh, aggressive sounding language, you may be in for a surprise. You'll hear how delicate and lovely German can sound. Here's an example - don't worry, it won't spoil any of the movie for you. This movie is all about the journey, not just were it ends up.