Cave of Forgotten Dreams (G)
"Caveman of your dreams"
Herzog's 3d documentary about the
ancient Cave drawings in France may be your only chance to almost see
them in person since the cave is sealed off from the commercial world
(and rightly so). The quality and variety of the drawings is
astonishing, the 3D does lend a hand in immersing you into the cave, and
director Werner tries with lighting and music and sound to get you to
experience them as our ancestors may have: primally. Mix in a few
humans whose own personalities border on the bizarre, and the result is
fascinating, mesmerizing and a bit bewildering.
8 Bear Claws out of 10 (GREAT)
Showing posts with label Herzog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Herzog. Show all posts
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (R)
"Dance Lizard Dance"
For a remake, its one of the better ones, but Herzog pretending it has nothing to do with the original is just silly. Cage can't out-crazy or out-sleaze Harvey Kietel, the Big Easy's got nothing on the Big Apple, but it's still a good movie somehow, filled with surreal moments filled with hallucinogenic lizards.
6 crack hits out of 10 (GOOD)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Fitzcarraldo (PG)
"Up shit creek with a hell of a paddle"
Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski (Aguirre, The Wrath of God) team again to tell the tale of an eccentric entrepreneur living in the Peruvian jungle who is obsessed with becoming a Rubber-Baron to fund the creation of an Opera house for his own amusement. What follows is a long, drawn out cruise upriver to untapped rubber tree locations, portage his enormous steam ship over a mountain, harvest and reap the rewards? What can (and does) go wrong fills the run time, and as we get to know Firzcarraldo better we see this is just his newest attempt at riches and failure.
Somehow treading the same ground as the mad tale of Aguirre and yet comes up emotionally detached and hollow, the film still must be applauded for its audacity at recreating period struggles of man vs nature. Herzog actually does drag the boat up and down a mud infested hill using local inhabitants, and is one of those few occasions where film maker and subject align perfectly: Fitzcaralldo's mania is also Wener's, but the main character himself is not as electrifying as other performances by Klaus and the whole affair can be best described as a tiring slog.
4.5 White Men with Plans out of 10 (BAD)
"Up shit creek with a hell of a paddle"
Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski (Aguirre, The Wrath of God) team again to tell the tale of an eccentric entrepreneur living in the Peruvian jungle who is obsessed with becoming a Rubber-Baron to fund the creation of an Opera house for his own amusement. What follows is a long, drawn out cruise upriver to untapped rubber tree locations, portage his enormous steam ship over a mountain, harvest and reap the rewards? What can (and does) go wrong fills the run time, and as we get to know Firzcarraldo better we see this is just his newest attempt at riches and failure.
Somehow treading the same ground as the mad tale of Aguirre and yet comes up emotionally detached and hollow, the film still must be applauded for its audacity at recreating period struggles of man vs nature. Herzog actually does drag the boat up and down a mud infested hill using local inhabitants, and is one of those few occasions where film maker and subject align perfectly: Fitzcaralldo's mania is also Wener's, but the main character himself is not as electrifying as other performances by Klaus and the whole affair can be best described as a tiring slog.
4.5 White Men with Plans out of 10 (BAD)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (NR) - Review
"The Greats of Wrath"
Herzog's symbolic South American adventure down the Amazon in search of El Dorado is awe inspiring. Even those under the effects of severe food poisoning can stomach and devour such a fine piece of cinema. As Pizarro's expedition haphazardly moves on, Klaus Kinski's Don Aguirre take a more and more dominant role. Klaus dominates the camera, his every enigmatically erratic movement and pronunciation is enrapturing, he is the vision of cost of conquest in the name or religion, in proceeding in God's name instead of simple human intuition. Like a dream the movie moves towards its inevitable conclusion(s), like a raft drifting downriver un powered, helpless to hit the sea. Powerful, visually striking, unforgettable, I'm still unsure if it was Herzog or Kinski who is to blame.
9 Hunched Conquistadors out of 10 (GREAT)
"The Greats of Wrath"
Herzog's symbolic South American adventure down the Amazon in search of El Dorado is awe inspiring. Even those under the effects of severe food poisoning can stomach and devour such a fine piece of cinema. As Pizarro's expedition haphazardly moves on, Klaus Kinski's Don Aguirre take a more and more dominant role. Klaus dominates the camera, his every enigmatically erratic movement and pronunciation is enrapturing, he is the vision of cost of conquest in the name or religion, in proceeding in God's name instead of simple human intuition. Like a dream the movie moves towards its inevitable conclusion(s), like a raft drifting downriver un powered, helpless to hit the sea. Powerful, visually striking, unforgettable, I'm still unsure if it was Herzog or Kinski who is to blame.
9 Hunched Conquistadors out of 10 (GREAT)
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About Me
- Kevin Gasaway via HardDrawn
- Turlock, California, United States
- Media and Reviews by Kevin Gasaway