Lightning Over Water (1980)

Directors:

Nicholas Ray
Wim Wenders

Writers:

Nicholas Ray (writer)
Wim Wenders (writer)

Release Date:

13 February 1981 (West Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Drama

Plot:

Director Nicholas Ray is eager to complete a final film before his imminent death from cancer. Wim Wenders...

Plot Keywords:

Terminal Illness | Film Making | Video Footage | Avant Garde | Friendship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gerry Bamman	...	Himself
Ronee Blakley	...	Herself
Pierre Cottrell	...	Himself
Stefan Czapsky	...	Himself
Mitch Dubin	...	Himself
Tom Farrell	...	Himself
Becky Johnston	...	Herself
Tom Kaufman	...	Himself
Pat Kirck	...	Himself
Edward Lachman	...	Himself
Martin Müller	...	Himself
Craig Nelson	...	Himself
Nicholas Ray	...	Himself
Susan Ray	...	Herself
Timothy Ray	...	Himself
Martin Schäfer	...	Himself
Chris Sievernich	...	Himself
Wim Wenders	...	Himself

Directed by
Nicholas Ray		(as Nick Ray)
Wim Wenders

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nicholas Ray		writer
Wim Wenders		writer

Produced by
Jonathan Becker	....	associate producer
Pierre Cottrell	....	producer
Laurie Frank	....	associate producer
Renée Gundelach	....	executive producer
Chris Sievernich	....	producer
Wim Wenders	....	producer

Original Music by
Ronee Blakley

Cinematography by
Edward Lachman
Martin Schäfer

Film Editing by
Peter Przygodda		(first version)
Wim Wenders		(definitive version)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pat Kirck	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack Higgins	....	sound re-recording mixer (definitive version)
Maryte Kavaliauskas	....	sound
Martin Müller	....	sound
Gary Steele	....	sound
Hiroaki 'Zom' Yamamoto	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Stefan Czapsky	....	gaffer
Mitch Dubin	....	assistant camera
Timothy Ray	....	assistant camera
Martin Schäfer	....	camera operator
James Wilberger	....	alternate best boy electric

Editorial Department
Chris Sievernich	....	assistant editor (definitive version)
Barbara von Weitershausen	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Tom Farrell	....	video
Jim Jarmusch	....	observer

Production Companies

• Road Movies Filmproduktion
• Viking Film
• Wim Wenders Productions

Distributors

• Skylight Filmverleih (1980) (Vietnam) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Basis-Film-Verleih GmbH
• Europa Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD) (Portuguese subtitles)
• Gray City (1981) (USA) (dubbed)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Pacific Arts (video)
• Ripley's Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2003) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Nick's Film - Lightning Over Water (West Germany)
Nicks Movie (West Germany)
Lampi sull'acqua - Nick's movie (Italy) [it]
Nick's Film - Lightning Over Water (Finland) (DVD title) [fi]
Nick's Film - Lightning Over Water (Greece) (festival title) [el]
Nick's Movie (France) [fr]
Nicks Movie (Hungary) [hu]
Relámpago sobre el agua (Spain) [es]
Salama veden yllä (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Villanás a víz felett (Hungary) [hu]

Runtime:

91 min | USA:116 min (original version)

Country:

Sweden | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Brazil:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-3 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Road Movies Filmproduktion

Movie Connections:

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1988) (V)

Soundtrack:

Lightning Over Water

not a simple film

Wenders gives the viewer the impression that this is a simple movie, but it is not. Fans of Wenders will recognize director Nicholas Ray's apartment as a location for the film, American Friend. But not only is Ray simply dying, he dies, and the "documentary" has to change, and so it does, with grace, pain, uncertainty, and a host of other emotions and observations. The music, much of it featuring Ronee Blakley, doing what sounds like an attempt at light punk rock and country-folk rock, with a definite Patti Smith influence, is very effective. Like every film I have seen by Wenders, it looks beautiful and often unusual, and the pacing is leisurely, and by Hollywood standards, slow. However, anyone who likes Wenders and likes Ray--and let's face it, if you say you are a fan of American film, and you neither like nor know Nicholas Ray, you are an ignorant piker, poser--will benefit from screening this movie, and probably be moved like hell by it.