A traveling film projectionist going from West Germany to East Germany meets up with a depressed young man whose marriage has just broken up, and the two decide to travel together.



viewer's comments:



- A quiet beautiful film. Find a very comfortable seat.
This is one of my all time favorite films. I love to sit back and just watch it go by. Every scene is worthy of a still photograph and there is little dialog to interfere with this quiet journey. Wenders seems to know what it's like to travel simply to escape ones current reality. The two main characters establish a friendship with few words, and seem to know inherently that too much talk would ruin the moment. It is a long film that moves slowly, so be prepared and get comfortable. It reminded me of the feeling I get on a long roadtrip when its just good to be anywhere but home.



- 1:666; everything must change
A German road movie...if you can call it that, since it plays on a high artistic and intellectual level. Very natural and humane, and above all, beautiful. It's a reflection of life, with substance, a good script and a great sense humor. It might primary be a story about friendship and lost childhood, but it's also about time. Everything must change, nothing can be as it is forever.

The cinematographer and/or camera man have obviously done a more or less perfect work with every scene in the film. Every frame is built on the golden section. I loved it. The black and white photo are also astonishing beautiful in some scenes.

An enjoyable trip through Germany, delightful for the mind as well as for the eyes. Not for the mainstream movie-goer though.



- A journey well worth taking
Wim Wenders's "Kings of the Road" differs from most road movies insofar as it does not quite conform to the conventions of the genre - a setting out, a journey and an arrival. Its two protagonists, Bruno, a cinema equipment maintenance mechanic and Robert, a pediatrician, have already commenced their journeys before the film begins and there is no clearly defined destination at the end. True, their initial encounter marks the beginning of a developing friendship but Wenders does not seem to be particularly interested in where it will take them, rather is it the minutiae of the journey itself that is all important. With a running time of three hours in which very little happens, it would be easy to dismiss the film as self-indulgent. But this would be to miss the point, which is a recreation of the rhythm of everyday life. In the case of Bruno we are aware of every little thing he does. He climbs naked out of his van. Later we watch him shave, and at one point we see him defecating in an open landscape in a middle distance shot held for as long as the act takes. Appropriately there are no such candid camera shots of Robert. He is an altogether more complex and private person. Estranged from his wife, he is clearly on the cusp of suicide when we first meet him. Playing "chicken" by closing his eyes while driving, he ends up in the river. He climbs out of his immobilized vehicle unaided, to be helped on his way by Bruno who is the only witness to the misadventure. The couple barely talk for some time, but a bond of friendship gradually develops between them so that Robert becomes Bruno's companion during his tour of cinemas in small towns on the East/West German border. And that is about all there is to it really. Except that the very feel of the flat landscapes, the river, the open road, level crossings and seedy cinemas takes one over, so that one hardly notices the minutes ticking away. This journey may be of little consequence but Wender's acute eyes and ears for detail make it one well worth taking.



- A beautiful film
Watching this film is like having a satisfying meal. You feel completely nourished by the end of it, both mentally and physically. For me this film has many moments in it that drift back to me sometimes during my life. It is a tender story about the friendship developed between two men who are both wandering, both avoiding life yet experiencing things that others miss out on. They are both very free spirits yet bound by something, one by the truck , the other by his past, where he is from. They meet by chance and enjoy their company until they must part. Nothing is forced in the film and the relationship does seem to run a very natural course. A great thing about this film is that there is little dialogue in it and yet it does not impede the story flow. I like so much about this film. I read a book on Wenders a while back and I remember something he said. It was that the sensation of travelling is much more preferable to that of arriving or departing. For me this film is that. It is a feeling. One of my favourite moments is when Robert is in the back of the truck and he stares up at the moon through the skylight in the roof, his face staring at it as though it is the first time he has ever really looked at it. His eyes are open finally. It is extremely moving. A life affirming film that everyone should see. I adore it.



cast:
Rüdiger Vogler ...
Bruno Winter
Hanns Zischler Hanns Zischler ...
Robert Lander
Lisa Kreuzer Lisa Kreuzer ...
Pauline, cashier
Rudolf Schündler Rudolf Schündler ...
Robert's Father
Marquard Bohm Marquard Bohm ...
Man Who Lost His Wife
Hans Dieter Trayer Hans Dieter Trayer ...
Paul, garage owner (as Dieter Traier)
Franziska Stömmer Franziska Stömmer ...
Cinema owner
Patric Kreuzer Patric Kreuzer ...
Little boy

Country:West Germany
Language:German | English - English subtitles
Release Date:January 1977 (USA)
Filming Locations:Bavaria, Germany
Runtime:175 min
Sound Mix:Mono
Color:Black and White