How a near-cancelled road movie became a defining masterpiece of German cinema
In short: Wim Wenders almost scrapped his 1974 film Alice in the Cities after discovering it mirrored a rival project. A chance meeting with director Samuel Fuller saved the production, leading to a poignant, improvised journey across Europe that remains a vital study of alienation, photography, and the search for home.
Alice in the Cities follows Philip Winter, a writer struggling to complete an article about the United States, who finds himself unexpectedly responsible for a young girl named Alice after her mother disappears. The pair embarks on a quest across Germany to locate Alice's grandmother, a journey that forces the cynical writer to confront his own creative sterility. Wenders viewed the film as a personal turning point, marking his departure from the heavy influence of directors like Alfred Hitchcock and John Cassavetes toward a style uniquely his own.
The production was fraught with logistical hurdles. Wenders and cinematographer Robby Müller were forced to shoot on 16 mm film rather than their preferred 35 mm due to equipment shortages and budget constraints. Furthermore, the film was nearly abandoned when Wenders realized its premise resembled Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 film Paper Moon. It was only after a discussion with Samuel Fuller, who encouraged him to proceed with rewrites, that Wenders recommitted to the project. The resulting film, shot throughout the summer of 1973, became increasingly improvised as the cast and crew grew more comfortable with their roles.
The film's legacy is defined by its atmospheric exploration of landscapes and the human condition. Critics have praised its meditation on the homogenization of nations and the exhaustion of dreams. However, some modern observers, such as Philip French, have noted that the film's central premise—a man traveling alone with a young girl—would be difficult to replicate today due to contemporary anxieties and the ubiquity of mobile technology. Despite these shifts in cultural context, the film remains a celebrated entry in Wenders' Road Movie trilogy, lauded for its gorgeous cinematography and the authentic, multifaceted performance of its young lead.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Alice in the Cities
- Also: Wikidata — Alice in the Cities · CC0
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