Werner Herzog

[adolfwolfli]

I've been going through a Herzog phase lately, and am topping it off by reading the new compilation of interviews "Herzog on Herzog" edited by Paul Cronin.  The man is simply amazing.  I think the rumors and accusations of madness and megalomania are exagerrated and untrue; he comes off in the interviews as intelligent but unpretentious, dedicated, hard-working, humble and filled with amazing acecdotes and crazy stories.  He's fiercely self-sufficent, brave, fearless and driven to make the films he makes, and I think we need more people like that.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about him is that he claims that in no way is he an "artist", and in fact abhors the term.  He describes  himself as a "craftsmen" along with lines of a medieval iron worker or shipbuilder.  He constantly refers to filmmaking as an "athletic" process and that it's physcial exertion and faith that make movies, not money and intellectual brain-power.

I don't know about anyone else, but Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo, Even Dwarves Started Small, Lessons of Darkness, Stroyzec, Caspar Hauser, etc. are some of the most amazing films I have ever seen.  Challenging and exhausting, yes, but brilliant nonetheless.

Anyone agree? Disagree

[(kelvin)]

I agree completely. Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo are amazing films. In Herzog's films, you can always find an enormous strength that propulses the characters, that guides, pushes, and eventually destroys them. They portray will power, fanaticism and shortsightedness, concerning as well ideology as pragmaticism.
But you shouldn't forget Klaus Kinski in Herzog's films...Kinski was the archetype of the egocentric and eccentric maniac...both had known each other for a long time and had a very "special" relationship. In his picture "My Best Fiend" (Herzog on Kinski), the director states himself that he a) threatened Kinski to shoot him if he didn't co-operate (e.g. play his part) b) wanted to burn Kinski's house c) regretted that he had not accepted the Indian's offer who wanted to kill Kinski... (during the making of Fitzcarraldo)

[Find Your Magali]

I just picked up the Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo DVDs this week and will be watching them soon, for the first time. Very excited.

Stroszek is the only Herzog film I have previously seen (in a college film class).

[adolfwolfli]

Stroszek is actually one of my favorites out of all of them.  I love Aguirre and Fitzcarraldo for their grand visions and Kinski's madness, but Stroszek is very moving, and the chicken scene at the end is pure craziness.

[MrBurgerKing]

I don't want to bump up this thread and have it die with this being the last reply, so let me tell you that my heart skipped when I saw this thread because I got so excited. Mr Herzog doesn't make films, he turns the camera onto life itself, exposing all the nature and details of ourselves. When we watch one of Herzog's grand operas, we're not watching Fitzcarraldo's dream come true, or Aguirre's dream slowly shatter along with his mind, we're watching ourselves. His films are mirrors that we look into, disguised as great epic dreams. The vampyre of Nosferatu lives forever in all of us, spreading plague onto an already plagued world. Yes, Kinski is crazy, but so are we, because that psychotic German is only exposing our own inconsistances through his life and work.

[cine]

Amen to that! Hail to the king of German cinema. My favs are Aguirre, Stroszek and the Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. Its great to know that Herzog still has it after all these years with Invincible.

[MrBurgerKing]

In Aguirre the wrath of god, there's a point where Herzog stops the film and holds the camera on the water for a minute or so while the scary music plays. At first you say it's just water, but soon the camera goes in closer and closer, frozen on the water, because the water deserves this close-up. It's a character onto itself. After a while it looks more like boiling water than river water. As if the fires of hell are right below it. Satan brought out his ugly head, becoming a part of Aguirre. I've never seen water so engaging and mysterious, and erotic, sensual, constantly moving up and down like some sort of machine. I usually go for Orange Soda, but I'll have to order water next time I go out to lunch.

[cine]

And everytime Kinski exclaims that he's the Wrath of God, I really shiver. And the final scene with the monkeys taking over the raft and Aguirre picks it up. Like Herzog says, nobody could toss it like Kinski. That shot is so memorable to me. One thing that I don't feel is touched on enough is all the last words in the film. The last things we hear from people.. Every death we see and every arrow hit has a great line. "That is no arrow" and "ten".. Films nowadays don't do this. The aim for gore and "realism" when the impact hits best in a film like Aguirre. I don't care to see the blood gush or pour out when someones decapitated... Herzog knows what the fuck he's doing. Oh, what else.. the suspense is great. When the raft is heading towards them and one of them exclaims that they're saying the meat is heading this way. He allows the camera to stare at Aguirre and we know they're doomed. But by the end of the film though, we trust he's the wrath of god.

[ShanghaiOrange]

The Enigma of Loch Ness

Werner Herzog directing a movies about Loch Ness is good.

And it's written by the guy who wrote X2 and PCU!

Movies are crazy. Everytime I start to hate them, they go and do something like this!

[Ernie]

His Noferatu remake is on its way from netflix...recommended through 4 5 star ratings. I've been wanting to see some of his stuff. Heart Of Glass sounds beautiful.

[cine]

His Noferatu remake is on its way from netflix...recommended through 4 5 star ratings. I've been wanting to see some of his stuff. Heart Of Glass sounds beautiful.

Which Herzogs have you seen thus far?

[Ernie]

Which Herzogs have you seen thus far?

None at all yet. Why? Is there a particular one I should start with?

I can only get what is available on Netflix and those two just sounded the most interesting and accessible, which is what I like to start with when getting into a new director. Like, I saw Boogie Nights first with PTA and Pulp Fiction first with Quentin Tarantino. The vampire one is a familiar story...and then it was so heavily recommended, I couldn't pass on it.

[cine]

Well I know any of the titles on this thread are worth seeing.. BK can probably go for hours about this..

Personally I'd start with his classic "Aguirre".. then do "Fitzcarraldo" and then "Nosferatu." So once you've nailed the best Kinski films, see "Stroszek" and then "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser" for the amazing Bruno S. films.

[Ghostboy]

One of my friends in LA is meeting with Werner Herzog next week...he (Herzog) is going to play a part in his (my friend's) next film. Pretty sweet.

[cine]

Pretty fuckin' sweet indeed. I loved his little appearance in What Dreams May Come.