Wim Wenders asks: Should movies be re-edited post-release?

Lead

German actress Nastassja Kinski has pressed filmmaker Wim Wenders for years to remove a scene from his 1975 film "The Wrong Move" ("Falsche Bewegung"), which she has described as deeply troubling. The scene, in which Kinski's character, aged 13 at the time of filming, is visited in her bedroom by a man over 30, has become the focus of a broader discussion on how films from another era should be handled.

The controversy has intensified following Wenders' public reaction and a recent announcement that the film is being withdrawn from circulation for the time being, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

Coverage Comparison

The story has been covered extensively by Deutsche Welle, which has reported on the dispute since Wenders first responded to Kinski's demands in 2024. The initial coverage highlighted Wenders' statement that he understands Kinski's "current perceptions and feelings" and that he would not film the scene the same way today. Subsequent reporting detailed Wenders' speech at the German Film Awards ceremony in Berlin (reported as taking place on May 31 in one account and May 29 in another), where he addressed the issue publicly and raised the question of what to do with films created in a different era.

A later report from the same outlet announced that the Wim Wenders Foundation had withdrawn the film from circulation, pending further discussion. All coverage has been consistent in presenting the facts as reported, with no major discrepancies in the core details.

Key Claims

The scene in question, as described by Deutsche Welle, shows Kinski's character lying on a bed wearing only panties when her co-star, then over 30, visits her. He undresses to his underwear, lies on top of her, slaps her, and then caresses her face. Kinski was 13 years old when the scene was filmed.

Kinski has said, "Although I didn't know much at the age of 13, I could already tell that it wasn't right," in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Wenders, who later collaborated with Kinski on "Paris, Texas" (1984) and "Faraway, So Close!" (1993), has acknowledged the scene's impact, saying, "I can't blame the 29-year-old young man I was then, 50 years ago, who made a film of his time; wanting, in a way, to capture the zeitgeist." He has also stated that he would not film the scene that way today.

The German Film Academy has been asked to initiate a discussion on the issue, according to Deutsche Welle.

The film's withdrawal from circulation was announced by the Wim Wenders Foundation, though this detail has been reported by a single outlet and has not yet been independently confirmed by other sources.

Perspectives

Kinski's perspective, as relayed by Deutsche Welle, is that the scene was inappropriate and harmful, even at the time of filming. Her ongoing efforts to have the scene removed highlight the lasting impact of such depictions.

Wenders, while expressing regret and understanding for Kinski's feelings, hesitates to retroactively edit the film, framing it as a moral question that he does not want to resolve alone. He has called for a broader discussion, which has been taken up by the German Film Academy.

The broader context includes other instances of films being re-edited post-release, as noted by Deutsche Welle: Steven Spielberg regretted modifying "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" for its 20th anniversary reissue; Ridley Scott re-cut "Blade Runner" in 2007; and George Lucas made changes to the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Even Stanley Kubrick ordered projectionists to cut a scene from "The Shining" a week after its release.

The debate also evokes earlier controversies, such as Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby" (1978), which starred a 12-year-old Brooke Shields as a child prostitute, and the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," in which Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were 15 and 16. Modern productions, by contrast, enforce strict boundaries for underage actors, including required presence of guardians, explicit parental consent, and the use of professional intimacy coordinators.

These examples illustrate the evolving standards and the challenges of judging past works by contemporary ethical norms.