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Saturday, May 17, 2008
I have become a huge fan of director Werner Herzog since gaining access to most of his films through Netflix. Herzog movies are art that can be enjoyed by anyone. There is never any big esoteric shit that someone like me who was deprived of oxygen at birth can not understand or at least grasp to some degree. Herzog movies are art for people who don't enjoy art. Some of his movies are both action/adventure and art. See "Aguirre, Wrath of God" and "Rescue Dawn" below.
My Herzog top picks are below. Note that I have not yet seen all his documentaries. Some day I will be rich and be able to afford the Boxed Set.
"Aguirre, Wrath of God" 1972 Feature Film
"The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner" 1976 Documentary
"Stroszek" 1977 Feature Film
"Little Dieter Needs to Fly" 1997 Documentary
"Grizzly Man" 2005 Documentary
"Rescue Dawn" 2006 Documentary
"Rescue Dawn" is a fictionalized account of Dieter Dengler's experience of being captured by the NVA during the American war with Vietnam. "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" is a documentary about Dengler's experience. Both are fucking great! There are scenes in both of these films which I will never forget. I read in a book about Herzog that Herzog complained that he was being labeled as some kind of pro-Vietnam war person because of the Dengler documentary. I think both Dengler films are anti-war war, even if they deal with a pilot who volunteered. Neither of these films are really about war, they are about pathos and loneliness. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to see "Rescue Dawn" on the big screen. It was probably the best hour and a half of 2006 for me.
Some Herzog movies I really don't like. Sometimes I believe he really misses his mark. Some are not easy viewing and aren't in English and don't have English dubbing like "Even Dwarfs Started Small". I don't dislike foreign films, but it is sometimes so much work for me to read the subtitles fast enough and watch the movie that it becomes an annoyance. What I really need to do is learn German.Labels: Werner Herzog
# posted by Dickie : 2:43 PM
 
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