1992 ‘Lektionen in Finsternis’ Directed by Werner Herzog
This film shows the disaster of the Kuwaitian oil fields in flames. In contrast to the common documentary film there are no comments and few interviews. What must have been the hell itself is presented to the viewer in such beautiful sights and beautiful music that one has to be fascinated by it.
Werner Herzog is the only living person who could say things like "the oil is treacherous because it reflects the sky; the oil is trying to disguise itself as water" and not seem like an utterly ridiculous weirdo.
The introductory Pascal quote regarding the "grandiose splendor" of humanity’s collapse is counterfeit, but the visions Werner Herzog finds to illustrate it are absolute. The apocalypse is unmistakable even if the disbanding Gulf War goes unnamed, the 13-part structure posits Ecclesiastes in the desert from the vantage of the most sublime helicopter shots ever captured. Kuwait City at dawn, "The War" (CNN views in grainy night vision), "afterwards everything was different." Space-engulfing camera sprawls contemplate, mourn, and exalt the ensuing wreckage: Craters, bones, gnarled pipelines stretched by the lenses. And oil. "The oil is treacherous, because it reflects the sky. The oil is trying to disguise itself as water." Other appearances are no less deceiving—abandoned, flat-roofed hangars resemble Aztec pyramids,…
I want my life to be narrated by Werner Herzog. Can you imagine just walking down the street?
"Kent, Ohio. A desolate wasteland of forgotten industries. The smell of burning tires runs across the city like a deer running from gunfire. A rumble of feet mirroring the great quakes of yesteryear as bodies pour into chipotle to get a buy one get one free deal."
"I've seen the future, brother."
-L. Cohen.
"Now they are content, now there is something to extinguish again."
-W. Herzog
Don't call yourself a cinephile until you've cried because of fucking oil fires at 4 am.
black tears, raging hellfire, earthly satanic projectile vomit. a violent kind of earthbound sickness perfectly portrayed
If Malick and Kubrick were to have a child, it would be breathtakingly beautiful but disturbed at the same time. It would have PTSD and his life would be an odyssey through Satan's playground, observing it through an alien's perspective with his favorite music in his headphones.
Saw an image of this in my bordwell film textbook, and it caught my eye so I decided to give it a watch.
I really liked it.
A strange, abstract documentary, but I mean it's basically a film. 56 minutes long, no dialogue save for a few voiceovers and interviews.
The imagery is astounding, and Herzog just lets us bask in it. I liked how unashamedly poetic he was about it, turning this real-world situation into a frame for some abstract moral, spiritual and cosmic meditation. That might seem like a reach, but the poetic tone of Herzog's voiceovers combined with the grandiose portent of the imagery really worked for me. The imagery of deserts, oil and fire is one…
www.ggpodcasting.com/rrrcast/rr084.php
Listen to the review at the link above!
I'm an absolute sucker for helicopter shots and distant, abstract narration so this, upon rewatch, is still the perfect war movie.
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