Werner Herzog Month Quick Picks and Pans

 

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) In the early 19^th century, a strange man with limited speech and mobility mysteriously appears in a small German village. Gradually, he learns how to interact with the people in the village and express his thoughts verbally. He meets resistance from some of the townspeople and local clergy, who seem more irked than curious about his unorthodox observations, untainted by socialization. This fascinating character study is anchored by a raw, emotive performance by Bruno S. as Kaspar Hauser, who communicates so much with movement and facial expressions. Herzog’s film hits all the right notes, with poignant moments and touches of unexpected humor. 

Rating: ****. Available on DVD and Tubi

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck? (1976) Werner Herzog shines the spotlight on the world of cattle auctioneers, with this engaging, deceptively simple documentary. We get a taste for the varied styles of several participants at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, nestled in Pennsylvania Amish country. The contestants’ rapid speaking style has a rhythmic, musical quality that mesmerizes the viewer – a language, Herzog asserts, created through capitalism. 

Rating: ****. Available on Prime Video and Tubi

 

Woyzeck (1979) Klaus Kinski stars as the titular Woszek, a 40-year-old career soldier in the Polish army. His life is filled with endless drills and derision from his superiors, much to the chagrin of his bored wife, Marie (Eva Mattes). His patience is stretched to the breaking point when Marie has an affair with his commanding officer. Kinski does an admirable job portraying a man who’s out of step with his peers, displaying a level of thoughtfulness and sensitivity ill-suited for military life.   

Rating: ***½. Available on DVD, Prime Video and Tubi

 

La Soufrière (1977) Herzog visits the tiny Caribbean island nation of Guadeloupe, on the cusp of a massive volcanic eruption. While the majority of the island’s residents were evacuated, we hear from the few who decided to stay behind to prepare for whatever fate awaited them. Shots of the abandoned streets of the main town conjure imagery of a post-apocalyptic world. While filmmaker and crew prepare for the worst, we learn about a similar catastrophe on a nearby island in 1902, when a population of 30,000 was wiped out in an instant. Herzog captures the ominous dread of meeting death head on, proving Alfred Hitchcock’s adage that “There’s no terror in the bang, only the anticipation of it.”  

Rating: ***½. Available on Prime Video and Tubi 

 

Herdsmen of the Sun (1989) Herzog introduces us to the Wodaabe, a nomadic tribe who roam the Sahara Desert, following the whims of their cattle. He focuses his lens on a traditional ritual, in which the men of the tribe attempt to woo the women with dance and elaborate makeup and costumes. The documentary seems a bit thin with its short running time (only 52 minutes), but it’s a nice introduction to a group of people and customs that few westerners have ever witnessed. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Tubi

 

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) Michael Shannon stars as Brad Macallam, an unbalanced man who lives with his overbearing mother (Grace Zabriskie). The David Lynch-produced film traces Macallam’s descent into madness and murder, leaving clues but not necessarily the causes of his actions. In addition to Shannon, Herzog assembled a phenomenal supporting cast (including Willem Dafoe, Chloë Sevigny, Udo Kier, and Brad Dourif) for his slow-burn mystery/drama, which seems to suggest something lofty, but never quite gets to the point. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD