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Lightning Over Water (1980)

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Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 3.7/5
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Movie Info

Lightning Over Water is a penetrating documentary of the last days of cult film director Nicholas Ray. The film was lovingly assembled by Wim Wenders, whose idolatry of Ray is obvious in virtually every frame of his own work. Dying slowly of cancer, Ray reflects on a lifetime of accomplishments, failures and compromises, with plenty of screen time given over to his reminiscences of Joan Crawford, James Dean and others who appeared in his films. Most of the film was lensed in Ray's modest New

Apr 6, 2004

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All Critics (8) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (3) | DVD (4)

Lightning Over Water is chaotic, emotionally and esthetically.

October 20, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A poignant and often painful film in which Wenders and the terminally ill Ray attempt to make a film together in the last days before Ray's death in 1979.

October 22, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Unquestionably the worst movie of Wim Wenders' career and indeed one of the worst movies ever made...

December 21, 2006 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

Wenders adds in some cruddy early-80s video from time to time, and the film is an odd mixture of powerful emotions and rambling nothingness.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

Even with its painful contradictions and discomfitures, it's that current rarity: one for the heart.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

It is obviously a sincere homage from a younger director to the older man, but it remains dubious and smacks of exploitation.

October 20, 2004 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Lightning Over Water

Lightning over Water is a fascinating documentary of sorts, it's an interesting project I've not seen before or since anyway. Nicholas Ray was a charismatic director and also a bit of a workaholic, only really truly happy when working on a film. That is where it's hard to say if it was all planned or if wenders took

November 17, 2011
SirPant

Super Reviewer

Menuda semanita de relax cinematográfico. Si ayer era la crispación de La palabra, hoy es el impacto de ver a un hombre moribundo que prefiere colocarse delante de una cámara antes que morir en la oscuridad. La historia es como sigue: mientras rodaba El hombre de Chinatown, Wim Wenders habló con su amigo y mentor

June 14, 2005
Nasholi
Antonio Real Morillo

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Foreign Titles

  • Nick's Film - Lightning Over Water (DE)
  • Nick's movie (FR)
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