Writings of any kind and form and movies represent humans’ projection upon life, their feelings, thoughts, desires and aspirations regarding the world they live in. As such, Anouilh's version of “Antigone” (based on Sophocles’ play with the same title) and Wim Wenders movie “Wings of Desire” reflect the author, respectively the director’s view upon the world they lived in, with the realities specific of those times. The key common component of these two representations stays in their theme, which is the loss of innocence, the awakening and the fight for freedom, rejecting imposed ideologies and authorities.
Based on Sophocles’ play, Jean Anouilh's has created his own version of “Antigone” in 1942, which was published two years later, in 1944 (“Antigone”, Sparknotes). The author is creating a symbolic image of the French underground freedom fighters, in the context of the Nazi occupation. The figure of Antigone who is growing up, leaving her childhood and her innocence behind for becoming a self – aware person, able to think and to judge for herself, and most importantly to take the actions that her mind dictates, being aware of her consequences is the central theme of the play.
Anouilh transposed the realities of the 40s France, reflecting, through the character of Antigone the French rebellion. Antigone is confronting her uncle Creon (the representative of authority that she disapproved) by herself, without any support from her peers. She does not find support in her actions not even from her sister, Ismene when she is attempting to offer her dead brother, Polynice a proper burial, against Creon’s regulations of leaving him unburied, “a pray of ravens and jackals” (Anouilh 5).
Antigone is the representation of bravura, a heroic, solitary figure who is following her own mind, resisting the ruling authority of her uncle and fighting the mediocrity and injustice (“Antigone”, Sparknotes). She is also aware of the consequences of her actions, knowing that they will condemn her to death, and this is what makes her heroic. Although she knows that she dies and she has the possibility to avoid this by not proceeding with her actions, her loyalty to her own principles guide her to following her credence and aspirations for freedom with courage and dignity: “An ugly sight, a man who is afraid” (Anouilh).
These are the qualities with which Anouilh intends to empower the anti – fascist movement as well, creating a connection between Antigone’s awakening from innocence and her desire to stand up for her principle, fighting for the freedom and the French freedom fighters.
The director of “Wings of Desire”, Wim Wenders, illustrates the ghostly grey Berlin of 1980s in a monochrome image, wherein two angels survey over their protected human beings (Wolfson 1). A contradictory image is meant to capture the eye and determine the viewer to consider it a political metaphor for hope. Moreover, as Nathan Wolfson observes, there is another other reason for considering the movie political, and this is the free choice, free will of Dammel, the angel, who decides to become a human being and follows his heart of discovering humanly feelings (3).
The director of “Wings of Desires” creates an antagonist image in his movie, wherein he joins a gloomy, sad, non-spiritual, mechanic city (the 1980s Berlin), which is still under the influence of the Nazi past and ideology, with the two angels, free observers of humans (Wolfson 4).
The angels are a symbolic representation of freedom, suggesting the unrestricted flight through the possession of their wings. Moreover, they are kind characters, protecting people, following them and offering guidance in their actions. In relation to this aspect, there must be observed that the purpose of the Nazi ideology was similar – to offer guidance to German population, but the aim was an offensive, obtrusive, aggressive, destructive one, as it implied a call for war against Jewish and all the countries that would not obey Jewish extermination.
Hence, in a very sensitive and subtle manner, Wenders ironically and intentionally focuses on the antithetic parallel between Nazi ideology (represented by the grey Berlin) and democracy (represented by the two angels, protectors of humans). The director generates the idea of a change, social, political, cultural change, by employing the most significant symbol for illustrating this change, which is the love. Dammiel is becoming a human being out of love for Marion. Moreover, he wants to feel alive, to sense what people are sensing, to feel the moment: “I'd like, at each step, each gust of wind, to be able to say ‘Now Now and now’ and no longer ‘forever’ and ‘for eternity’ () To be able to say ‘ah’ and ‘oh’ and ‘hey’ instead of ‘yea’ and ‘amen’” (Damiel, “Wings of Desire”).
Based on the historical periods that Anouilh and Wenders are describing (the post war France, respectively the 80s Germany), their stories evoke the political and social specificities of their times. Anouilh’s “Antigone” and Wenders’ “Wind of Desire” are symbolic representations of their author’s perceptions and reflections about their reality. Both perceive it by the loss of purity and innocence and by a sudden contact with the rough outside world that imposes a rapid development and a fight for the supreme ideal of freedom.
Works Cited
Anouilh, Jean, “Antigone”, fifth ed. London, A & C Black Publishers Limited. 2005. Print.
“Antigone” Sparknotes. Retrieved on 26 March 2012 from http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/antigone/context.html. n.d. Web.
Wenders, Wim. “Wings of Desire”. Road Movies Filmproduktion. 1987. Film.
Wolfson, Nathan. “PoMo Desire?: Authorship and Agency in Wim Wenders; Der Himmer übe Berlin [1987](Wings of Desire)”. Retrieved on 19 March 2012, from http://www.nathanwolfson.com/scholarship/wings/Wings-PoMo-Wolfson.pdf. 2002. Web.
