You’re Not A Sci-Fi Fan If You Haven’t Seen This Mind-Bending ’90s Movie With William Hurt

Science fiction films were at the peak of the action in the late 1980s. Films like James Cameron’s “Aliens,” John McTiernan’s “Predator” and Paul Verhoeven’s “RoboCop” have delighted audiences with their clever premises and stunning set pieces, leaving Hollywood studios clamoring for more of the same. They got exactly what they wanted. But although there were more classics to come out of this era (such as Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Verhoeven’s “Total Recall,” and Marco Brambilla’s “Demolition Man”), sci-fi films without sci-fi films, according to Clarence Boddicker, were rare.

German director Wim Wenders sought to change that in 1991 with his futuristic epic “Until the End of the World.” There was a lot of excitement for this film considering that the director’s previous two films, “Paris, Texas” and “Wings of Desire,” were among the best films of the 1980s. Wenders had a beguiling sense of the wonderful and strange. At his best, Wenders’ films are deeply human and eerily otherworldly (particularly in the case of “Wings of Desire”). They are also deeply contemplative, which means they don’t unfold very quickly. For moviegoers unable to handle unconventionally told stories, Wenders Cinema may be a no-go.

However, Wenders’ previous successes allowed him to muster a $23 million budget for his film about a diverse cast of characters (including William Hurt as a noir-coded fugitive) caught in a web of intrigue as an Indian satellite threatens to crash somewhere on Earth. The disaster movie element of “Until the End of the World” might make it seem marketable, but Wenders is much more interested in emerging technology that promises to enrich people’s lives but makes them more miserable. This did not help its box office prospects.

Wim Wenders first conceived “Until the End of the World” in 1977 and developed the film’s script for more than a decade. He was always in pre-production for the film, even though he wasn’t sure he would get the financing needed to realize his bizarre vision. It became a labor of love, and when someone as talented as Wenders gets the space to dream, you’re bound to end up with something very complex.

At first, it was simply “Until the End of the World.” a lot Of the film, it is said to be 20 hours long. Wenders was contractually obligated to make a feature film, so he cut it down to 158 minutes for US release and 179 minutes for European release. I wasn’t happy with either story, and when I saw the American version in theaters, I wasn’t a fan of it either. There was a lot to the story (bank robbers, bounty hunters, a dream recorder), but there was no time to connect with its myriad characters. You can feel that the film has been ruined.

My opinion changed radically when I saw the restored 287-minute director’s cut. Not only was I impressed by the film’s rumination on the intellectual/emotional dead end of nostalgia, I was thoroughly entertained throughout. The pacing of this release is perfect, and its depiction of humans’ relationship with technology a decade or so later is eerily accurate. (Wenders also saw the surveillance state coming in 1997’s The End of Violence.) Not to mention the great performances from William Hurt, Solveig Dumartin, Sam Neill, Max von Sydow, and Jeanne Moreau.

The director’s cut “Until the End of the World” is currently broadcast on the Criterion Channel. Treat yourself to one of the most underrated science fiction films of all time.