WERNER HERZOG
(1945 - ), German


"Werner Herzog is regarded as one of the most eccentric figures of das neue kino. His films feature inspiring landscapes and controversial actors (the flamboyant Klaus Kinski, the strange Bruno S.) at odds with their world. Herzog is also well known for the making of his films, whether hypnotizing the entire cast in Heart of Glass, dragging a boat through the Amazon jungle for Aguirre: the Wrath of God, or feuding with actor Kinski… One of the leading figures of the New German Cinema, he has remained a radical individualist and a cinematic visionary for over forty years. His films disturb by their questioning of the bases of human civilization and its values."
- Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film

"Werner Herzog, more than any director of his generation, has through his films embodied German history, character, and cultural richness. While references to verbal and other visual arts would be out of place in treating most film directors, they are key to understanding Herzog. For his techniques he reaches back into the early part of the twentieth century to the Expressionist painters and filmmakers, back to the Romantic painters and writers for the luminance and allegorization of landscape and the human figure."
- The St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia

"He's not just my favorite. He's a lunatic. He's my favorite because he's a lunatic."
- Harmony Korine

Filmography
1962 Herakles (Short)
1964 Game in The Sand* (Short)
1966 The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz (Short)
1967 Last Words (Short)
1968 Signs of Life
1969 Precautions Against Fanatics (Short)
1969 The Flying Doctors of East Africa* (TV)
1970 Even Dwarfs Started Small
1971 Fata Morgana
1971 Land of Silence and Darkness*
1971 Handicapped Future*
1972 Aguirre, the Wrath of God
1974 The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner* (Short)
1974 The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
1976 How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck* (TV)
1976 Heart of Glass
1976 No One Will Play With Me (Short)
1977 La Soufrière* (Short)
1977 Stroszek
1979 Nosferatu the Vampyre
1979 Woyzeck
1980 God's Angry Man* (TV)
1980 Huie's Sermon* (TV)
1982 Fitzcarraldo (Just as if not more essential is Les Blank's Burden of Dreams documentary, which chronicles the making of Fitzcarraldo)
1984 Where the Green Ants Dream
1984 The Dark Glow of the Mountains* (TV)
1984 Ballad of the Little Soldier* (TV)
1986 Portrait Werner Herzog* (Short)
1987 Cobra Verde
1988 Les Gaulois included in Les Français vus par...* (Short)
1989 Wodaabe - Herdsmen of the Sun* (TV)
1990 Film Lesson 1-4* (TV)
1990 Echoes From a Somber Empire*
1991 Scream of Stone
1991 Jag Mandir* (TV)
1992 Lessons of Darkness (Short)
1993 Bells from the Deep: Faith and Superstition in Russia*
1994 The Transformation of the World Into Music* (1994) (TV)
1995 Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices* (TV)
1997 Little Dieter Needs to Fly*
1999 My Best Fiend*
1999 The Lord and the Laden* (TV)
2000 Wings of Hope* (TV)
2001 Pilgrimage* (Short)
2001 Invincible
2002 Ten Thousand Years Older, included in Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet* (Short)
2003 Wheel of Time*
2004 The White Diamond*
2005 The Wild Blue Yonder
2005 Grizzly Man*
2007 Rescue Dawn
2007 Encounters at the End of the World*
2009 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
2010 Cave of Forgotten Dreams*
2010 Happy People: A Year in the Taiga*

* documentary

Recommended First Watch: Aguirre: The Wrath of God

1. Aguirre: The Wrath Of God (own)
2. Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (own)
3. Grizzly Man (own)
4. Encounters At The End Of The World (own)
5. Lessons In Darkness

I also own Fitzcarraldo, The Enigma Of Kasper Hausen, Woyzeck, My Best Friend, Rescue Dawn and Cobra Verde. I haven't seen any of those, naturally enough. I'm really excited for his upcoming documentary Caves Of Forgotten Dreams.

Has anyone else listened to both the German and English audio tracks for Aguirre? Seeing as Aguirre was actually shot in English, but wide released in a German dub, it's actually a case where the English track doesn't ruin the movie. Some days I actually prefer it, and I know some people who refuse to watch anything else. Everyone who's a fan of the film should try it both ways. Of course, you have to have the DVD and not just a stream or an AVI to switch the audio tracks, but this is a film I think you should own if you like. For me one of those movies where if I have to watch it at any given moment, I have to.

Well, gee, I had no idea about this, is it hard to find? I have Aguirre in the Herzog/Kinski collection, do you know if the English track is on there?

Yes.

Holy guacamole.

Did you watch it?

Nope, wanted to watch it with Hells, she be in Germany though, I watch it then. On a lighter note, I got Frownland coming next week probably.

Speaking of which, is Frownland anything like Korine movies, you kinda hinted at that last time we spoke of it. (this concerns Werner Herzog cause it concerns Korine who had Herzog play in one of his movies)

It is similar to Korine and Herzog films in that it shows a part of humanity we usually don't see. But in the approach it's totally different. Stick with it--the first 10 minutes are the hardest, and the final 30 minutes are the best.

Well, I wouldn't say that's what separates Korine and Herzog from the rest, we've seen evil and craziness done many times, but it's usually within the comfort zone of the general populace.

Aguirre for first watch.

Here's a sample of what the English language version sounds like. I really don't understand why the German version is more popular. You aren't even hearing Kinski's actual voice if you aren't hearing it in English, so he just comes across as even more of a cartoon than he already is. I guess the German version has louder music or something, which I can understand, because the score is pretty important in setting an atmosphere for the movie.
DON'T WATCH THIS TRAILER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM!

I love the drops of water on the lens. I love the moment when he breaks the wall by looking straight into the camera and saying "I am the wrath of god." I love when he stares at that woman for a good beat saying nothing, but when he turns around takes it out on the horse. Stuff like that is too good to be planned. All moments of pure brilliant cinema. Poor horse though. Also poor monkey. Also poor people Kinski injured.

it still sounds kinda fake for some reason, maybe it's cuz i'm just so used to the german and that the german sounds better

Well, that's a trip. But it did get me thinking, how come people have such a problem with movies being in English? Like people bitch about Amadeus for having American actors talking in American dialect when it's set in Austria, but no one had a problem with Aguirre being in German when it should be in Spanish (I guess). There was another movie from some country but set in another with the producing country's language that everyone was fine with, but I can't remember what it was.

1970 Even Dwarfs Started Small 5
1971 Fata Morgana 7
1971 Land of Silence and Darkness 8
1972 Aguirre The Wrath of God 9
1974 The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser 7
1976 Heart of Glass 6
1977 La Soufriere 7
1977 Stroszek 8
1979 Nosferatu the Vampyre 5
1982 Fitzcarraldo 5
1992 Lessons of Darkness 7
1993 Bells From the Deep 6
1997 Little Dieter Needs to Fly 7
1999 My Best Fiend 6
2004 The White Diamond 6
2005 The Wild Blue Yonder 3
2005 Grizzly Man 8
2007 Rescue Dawn 5
2007 Encounters at the End of the World 8
2009 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans 6