by Jason Buchanan
synopsis
This early short from German director Wim Wenders marks a series of firsts form the internationally renowned director. In addition to being the first film Wenders shot on 35mm film, it also marked his first collaboration with longtime cinematographer Robbie Muller. Named after the John Coltrane ballad "Alabama", the film contrasts Bob Dylan's version of "All Along the Watchtower" with Jimi Hendrix's interpretation of the song. Following his failure to follow his orders to kill, the protagonist drives along the never-ending road the viewer experiences his voyage as the camera peers out the back window. In the end it seems that death has not only taken our protagonist, but the camera as well.
