Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

g-moff "Everything has to change". This is the good-bye message which character Robert leaves to character Bruno after a few days of joint traveling through the 197ies West German countryside. Actually, not traveling: Bruno works as an independent cinema equipment repairman who visits small town cinemas to check their projector stuff and took Robert as a passenger after witnessing his rather clumsy suicide effort. Both are somehow reluctant (or unable) to really get involved with life and other people. They seem to have plenty of time, no hurry for both of them. And thus this movie proceeds at a snail's pace. Tormenting it felt sometimes and I was thankful for the "pause" button of my DVD player. "Kings of the road" was shot in 1976 West Germany. Watching it in 2017 felt really odd to me. Nowadays' motto sounds rather like 'modernize or tear down' - 'keep a tight schedule' - 'time is money' - 'everyone for himself' etc. - well, you know. 7,5 (=8) of 10 anyhow for remarkably beautiful takes (mind the side view mirrors!) and very adequate last minutes. In general, the combination of visually stunning shots and a rather dragging storytelling might actually strengthen the sustainable impression this movie is able to produce - if you can bear watching it all through.

Spikeopath Projection engineer Bruno Winter is pulled up alongside the River Elbe, as he sets about giving himself a shave a Volkswagen drives straight into the river in what seems to be a half hearted suicide attempt. The driver of the Volkswagen is woman troubled Robert, after getting to the river bank he finds Bruno to be a most interesting person, and the pair then set off on a road trip that will shape their respective lives and outlooks considerably.Shot in 11 weeks between July 1st and October 31st 1975, Im Lauf der Zeit is now considered to be one of the seminal pictures of New German cinema. Director Wim Wenders and his crew set off along the Zonenrandgebiet with only an itinerary set in concrete, working completely without a script, his lead actors, Rudolf Vogler & Hanns Zischler manage to produce one of the most thought provokingly intelligent road movies to have ever been made.There are many musings on this picture across internet forums, and although the film has very deep meanings, I really feel that it's down to the individual viewer to align themselves personally with our protagonists to get the most from the piece. Wenders clearly had deep feelings for German cinema, and here as the guys move from town to town, on Bruno's projection repair route, the feeling that film in this country is dying is quite palpable. This all ties in with the theme of change that is the core essence in Wenders film, it's not just our characters who need to wake up to the need for change, it's essentially his home country as well.As the guys move on they meet people, they drink, talk, even fight, and it's all filmed in real time, we are forced to be part of this unlikely friendship, be it washing or shaving, or the act of defecating, it's all humane and sits perfectly as a normal way of life. Come the ending, after nearly three hours of engrossing cinema, we know what has been identified, not just for our two wonderful characters, but for all of us who may be wary of change. The black and white photography from Robby Muller is excellent, and manages to make the various landscapes the guys travel thru an extra character, but ultimately it's just one of a number of things that make Im Lauf der Zeit a truly smart film. My hope is that any newcomers to the film will get as much from it as I did, maybe something different perhaps? But at the very least a recognition that this is a truly wonderful picture. 9/10

Kent Lee Every American who came of age before reunification of East/West Germany should see this film. It encapsulates a time; a frame of mind. Perhaps its most important feature however, is the way it uses sparse cinematography, and spaces, both literal and figurative, to illustrate the moral and spiritual conditions of the protagonists. There are few films which demonstrate such a mastery of the art of the visual in storytelling. For those interested in the place of film in the broader social context, I'm Lauf Der Zeit provides countless wry observations. At least as important as The Last Picture Show. I am waiting for the definitive authorized DVD with subtitles. By far my favorite Wim Wenders film.

eskatee Just a guess: Wim Wenders must be a railway-enthusiast. In this film he depicts the decay of Cinema's along the Iron Curtain on the Westgerman side. The film starts with a scene at the Doemitzer Elbebruecken, the bridges at the River Elbe, which where removed after World War II on the Eastgerman side. When we had a Wim Wenders special in our art-house-cinema (ran by volunteers) I had the opportunity to identify with the main character, being the projectionist. In the beginning of the film there is a continuity mistake: The Volkswagen Beetle is submerged more in the close shot as in the total. The film ends with a shot of the Cinema called Weisse Wand (White Wall). Only the W's are lit: W(I'm) W(enders), this film is a true signature!