3 Movies That Perfectly Capture the Musical Spirit of 1980s Cold War Culture

The Cold War was an unsettling time for many people around the world. And during times of struggle, music culture often produced some memorable subgenres, musicians, and songs that stand the test of time. The following movies feature a lot of Cold War music that captures the vibe of the 1980s perfectly. Let’s take a look!

Videos by American Songwriter

‘Wings Of Desire’ (Wim Wenders, 1987)

This German romantic fantasy film from the mid-1980s follows the tale of immortal, invisible beings who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the humans within. Many of those thoughts tell stories of isolation and estrangement during the Cold War in West Berlin. It’s a unique film, one that won numerous awards. Naturally, the soundtrack is full of excellent Cold War era music, namely from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. 

‘Christiane F.’ (Uli Edel, 1981)

This one might be a tough watch, as it is about a young girl living in mid-1970s West Berlin, who becomes entangled in h*roin addiction. However, the era was a dark time, and this film accurately depicts it fairly accurately. The soundtrack is nothing to sneeze at, either. Almost the entirety of the soundtrack was composed by David Bowie and Brian Eno. Specifically, the soundtrack includes songs from Bowie’s famed Berlin Era.

‘Atomic Blonde’ (David Leitch, 2017)

This is a much newer film, but it takes place on the eve of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Starring Charlize Theron, the story of the film follows a spy who is tasked with executing a hit list full of covert agents during the Wall’s collapse. It’s more of a fictional action film than a depiction of Cold War culture, but the soundtrack is what earns it a spot on this list. So many great Cold War and Neue Deutsche Welle songs are on Atomic Blonde’s soundtrack. A few include “99 Luftballons” by Nena, “Cat People” by David Bowie, “Blue Monday” by New Order (the 12-inch version, specifically), “Der Kommissar” by Falco, and many more. Director David Leitch explicitly said that finding the right songs to fit the Cold War era was important, and the carefully curated soundtrack that came out of that desire is quite an achievement.

Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images