Dave S
Wilhelm (Rudiger Vogler) is an aspiring writer, frustrated by his lack of both life experience and interpersonal relations. To broaden his limited scope, he embarks on a journey across Germany, where he befriends a disparate group of outcasts. Wim Wenders’ Wrong Move has its strengths (good performances, an interesting premise, a solid score, and typically excellent direction from Wenders), but has got to be considered the weakest link in the acclaimed director’s Road Trilogy. While the other two installments (Alice in the Cities, Kings of the Road) feel deeply rooted in reality, Wrong Move is often overwhelmed by frustratingly cryptic dialogue and scenes that border on Bunuel-like surrealism. If you’re going to delve into the trilogy, you might want to consider viewing this film last.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
10/10/24
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J. D
I loved Wim Wenders' "Paris, Texas", "Wings of Desire", and "Alice in the Cities" (1st in his Road Trilogy) so was looking forward to the 2nd in his Trilogy, "Wrong Move". I struggled to watch the entire film because I thought surely it would get better...it didn't. I found the characters undeveloped, almost caricatures, mopey, alienating, self-consciously angstful, and disconnected. The plot was similarly dull. The entire experience felt heavy, draggy. A disappointment.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
07/26/21
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william k
Another Wenders/Handke collaboration, in this case loosely adapting a Goethe novel, realized with a German star cast (of the time), paints a grim and pessimistic (and at times surreal) portrayal of human society.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Bradley S
Absurd and dreamlike. Depressive and very funny. Creepy, tripped out score. Robby Müller's cinematography is stunning, as usual. A beautiful, anti-comic reckoning with Germany's past.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
07/02/19
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Audience Member
A likeable film with beautiful tracking shots. People moving in and out of your life. Not so much wrong moves, but wrong times.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/22/23
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Audience Member
Wrong Move relies on a significant amount of historical context to parse out. It's deeply philosophical and steeped in postwar Germany's sociopolitical position. It's also loosely based on a late 19th century Goethe novel so, in 2016 America, the film plays like a totally batshit art movie. The characters speak in riddles and grandiose philosophical declarations and are themselves symbols (for what though, I'm at a loss). It's quite jarring coming to it from Alice and the Cities and the American Friend. While you don't expect Wenders to take the easiest path up the mountain, that Wrong Move would be narratively incoherent was unexpected. Still, it is what it is, and with the right tools in hand (and a few more viewings and maybe even just a watch through with Wenders audio commentary) I'm sure it's a much better film than it is to someone randomly throwing it on 40 years after the fact.
Even though the film was over my head, the cinematography and Wenders directorial vision are undeniable. Robby Muller's cinematography is, as usual, outstanding, and the restoration Criterion has released is flawless. It's a quiet movie, full of characters talking, and yet so visually pleasant I was engaged even when what the characters were talking about seemed like gobbledygook. Despite ragging on all the heady talking, there is a sequence where the characters walk up a mountain and the protagonist takes a turn speaking with most of them. The sequence is filmed in long takes, meandering up the mountain with the characters, and set against breathtakingly beautiful fall foliage. The scene is arresting, and the sort of filmmaking that is so white hot you can feel your pulse quickening. It was also the point where the dialogue and character interactions felt a bit more comprehendible and the philosophical cloud diffused (if just a little).
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
Full Review
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