The State Of Things

Wim Wenders - 1982
Clearly less narrative based than 'The American Friend', pretty much a series of incidents; it is impressive that Wenders can put his film where his thoughts are, seeing that narrative, the Hollywoodian, in the cinema is compromised. There is that thread, but this is an 'open' film. It contains thoughts, philosophy, beauty, but is far from didactiv; it feels very cool. I'm not sure it's all succesful, indeed it can get lost, I felt (slightly abstract, apart from the film industry parts..), but respect.
Wenders' black and white uses deep contrasts, rich slick blacks. It may also have all been shot through a yellow filter (lots of self-referential fun here). The compositions don't seem organised around an abiding theme, but are thoughtful and often beautiful. I felt a tendency to backlight, often from the side. Wender's sense of place is also often horizontal, be he in the city or more, as here, outside of it.