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 - Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

The pictures... they never really show what it was you saw.

— Philip Winter

Context:

Spoken by Philip as he looks at his Polaroids, disappointed that the emotional reality of the landscape is missing from the glossy print.

Meaning:

This encapsulates the film's central thesis about the inadequacy of images to capture the essence of experience. It highlights Philip's frustration with his inability to mediate reality.

I'll write an end to this story.

— Philip Winter

Context:

The final scene on the train to Munich, when Alice asks him what he will do next.

Meaning:

Signifies the breaking of his writer's block and his acceptance of his role in the narrative of his own life. He has moved from a passive observer to an active participant.

D-R-E-A-M

— Alice van Dam

Context:

Alice and Philip are playing Hangman on the plane. Alice guesses the word Philip was thinking of.

Meaning:

A moment of connection and foreshadowing. The word 'dream' contrasts with the gritty reality they are navigating, suggesting the hope that drives them.