Alice in the Cities
A melancholic yet hopeful road movie about an alienated journalist and an abandoned nine-year-old girl traversing American and German landscapes. It explores the search for identity and connection through the lens of black-and-white wandering, Polaroid snapshots, and the quiet spaces between destinations.
Alice in the Cities
Alice in the Cities

Alice in den Städten

17 May 1974 Germany 110 min ⭐ 7.7 (326)
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Rüdiger Vogler, Yella Rottländer, Lisa Kreuzer, Edda Köchl, Ernest Boehm
Drama
Alienation and Disconnection The Image vs. Reality Americanization of Europe Movement and Transit

Alice in the Cities - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

Easter Eggs

Clip from 'Young Mr. Lincoln'

Philip watches John Ford's film in his hotel room. This is a direct reference to Peter Handke's novel Short Letter, Long Farewell, which also features an alienated German traveler in the US and references the same Ford film.

Yella Rottländer's Casting

Wenders cast Yella Rottländer because he had worked with her on The Scarlet Letter (1973) and felt he hadn't done justice to her character in that film. He wanted to make a film that captured her natural presence.

Can Soundtrack

The score is by the experimental German rock band Can. It is considered one of their most atmospheric works, perfectly complementing the 'inner journey' aspect of the road movie.