Colour, 1979, 80m. / Directed by Werner Herzog / Starring Klaus Kinski, Eva Mattes / Anchor Bay (US R1 NTSC) / WS 1.85:1 (16:9) A compact chamber piece by Herzog standards, Woyzeck is often overlooked but still contains the director's favourite theme of mankind struggling against challenging obstacles, with fellow human beings replacing the daunting elements of nature in this case. Kinski's amazing, edgy performance adds much needed depth to the storyline, a straightforward account of one man's descent straight into hell. After over an hour of Herzog's detached camera calmly observing Woyzeck's disintegration, the violent final ten minutes pack a vicious punch. (Too bad the cover art completely spoils one of the key moments.) Though it may not be the best place to start for Herzog newcomers, Woyzeck represents both the filmmaker and his depraved muse, Mr. Kinski, at the height of their powers. Previously released in the US on VHS by New Yorker, Woyzeck has been transferred as well as possible to DVD by Anchor Bay. The anamorphically enhanced image largely compensates for the cheap film stock and grainy '70s look the film has displayed over the years; Herzog's carefully modulated use of gold and brown shines through quite richly here. The optional English subtitles are likewise well paced and easy to read. Apart from the original German trailer (also with optional subs) and the usual cast/crew bios, this is a straightforward, no frills presentation. That's hardly surprising, though, given that even Herzog would be hard pressed to dissect the film for 80 minutes.
Colour, 1999, 95m. / Directed by Werner Herzog / Anchor Bay (US R1 NTSC) / WS (1.78:1) (16:9) / DD2.0 Directed by Werner Herzog / Starring Werner Herzog, King Ampaw / Anchor Bay (US R1 NTSC) / WS (1.78:1) (16:9) / DD5.1 The DVD of Cobra Verde is just as impressive as Anchor Bay's other Herzog titles, with a splendid widescreen transfer which accurately captures the delicate colour palette used in the film's artful cinematography. A lengthy opening conversation lit only by a single flickering candle is just one of the many carefully lit scenes which could have been disastrous on DVD, but the results are impressive and quite natural in appearance. The 5.1 remix simply tweaks the already existing Dolby Stereo master instead of creating a new mix from scratch; considering this is also a relatively recent film in this particular collection, the results are more pristine and could easily be mistaken for a film made only a year or two ago. Herzog once again returns for a lively commentary track in which he discusses his final cinematic hour with Kinski, who was becoming quite impossible by this point and was evidently not up for another round with the demanding director. Unlike Fitzcarraldo, this was actually filmed in German, so the decision to lavish the 5.1 treatment only on the German track makes sense. Unlike landmark works such as Nosferatu or Heart of Glass, this score by Popul Vuh has rarely been heard but is extremely effective in creating an otherworldly sense of space and time. The English dub track in 2.0 surround is generally a mess, with the native sequences presented with subtitles and Kinski's dialogue sequences sloppily dubbed. Stick with the subtitled version by all means. The disc also includes the original German trailer, a fair approximation of the film itself.
Color, 1972, 93m. / Directed by Werner Herzog / Starring Klaus Kinski, Cecilia Rivera / Anchor Bay (US R1 NTSC) / DD5.1 / Stonevision (UK R1 PAL)
A film whose shooting difficulties have become at least as legendary as the final product, Aguirre, the Wrath of God became Werner Herzog's international breakthrough film and established an entirely new age of German cinema. Like all of his other films, this one will certainly not appeal to every taste thanks to its slow pace and maniacal, unsympathetic lead character. However, as with all collaborations between Herzog and Klaus Kinski, Aguirre is crucial, unforgettable cinema, and arguably the finest collaboration ever between this volatile pair. In 1560, the depths of the jungles lining the Amazon river are infiltrated by a Spanish expedition trudging through endless miles of green wilderness. They search for the remains of the fallen Inconnu empire, which may lead them to discover the mythical El Dorado, a city of gold. The greedy and incestuous Don Lope de Aguirre (Kinski), who has brought his own daughter (Cecilia Rivera) along on his quest, becomes the tyrannical leader of the rapidly diminishing explorers, who are being picked off by pestilence, cannibals, violent mishaps, and even murder by their own leader when they plot desertion. Still Aguirre pushes on, driven by his own lust for gold and glory regardless of the consequences to himself and his companions.
Firmly anchored by Kinski's fearless and harrowing portrayal, this film spins out one unforgettable image after another, culminating in a justifiably famous final image that will leave most viewers astounded that it was ever committed to film. Reports of Kinski and Herzog's clashes during the filming have now become hopelessly tangled by contradictions, with both parties plotting to murder each other and Kinski's infamous tantrums draining him out so completely that his performance in front of the camera comes across as wasted and introspective. The sublime, unsettling, and often glorious music by longtime Herzog collaborators Popul Vuh sets just the right mood, with the eerie, long opening shots of mountains dotted with struggling human forms accompanied by sounds apparently drifting in from the ether. Unlike Fitzcarraldo, which balanced its insane spectacle with a narrative laced with human warmth and ultimate redemption, Aguirre is essentially a trip straight into hell, a damned expedition whose likes would not appear on film again until the similarly lunatic venture of Apocalypse Now seven years later. Anchor Bay's DVD contains an open matte presentation which offers a little more information on the top and bottom compared to the very mildly letterboxed tape from New Yorker; more importantly, the colours look much more robust and piercing, from the glittering gold and silver surfaces of the armor to those frightening, impenetrable greens within the jungle. Never has nature looked more terrifying. The 5.1 remix does what it can with the limited early '70s sound recording; the music fares best, often drifting ominously from different speakers, while the dialogue and sound effects are a bit more strident. The original mono English dubbed track is also included but isn't worth the trouble unless you absolutely can't stand subtitles. In a priceless gesture for film history, Herzog contributes a commentary track with Norman Hill in which he offers his own linear take on the film's arduous production. Though not a true story, Herzog essentially set out to capture a time and place never seen before, one which seems to burst from western civilization's collective unconscious and mirrors the mad follies committed by inept leaders over the centuries. Of course the irony of Herzog himself often falling into this mad scheme of leadership isn't lost on him, resulting in a peculiar "hall of mirrors" effect when he discusses this film. The original German theatrical trailer is also included, along with an English dubbed variant, neither of which probably went over too well in commercial theatres. The UK disc from Stonevision is full frame as well but features an inferior transfer with no extras.
B&W, 1971, 96 mins. / Written and Directed by Werner Herzog / Starring Helmut Döring, Gerd Gickel, Paul Glauer, Erna Gschwendtner, Gisela Hertwig / Cinematography by Thomas Mauch / Anchor Bay (US R1 NTSC)
The very definition of a weird movie right to its core, Werner Herzog's Even Dwarfs Started Small (Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen) is so gloriously, riotously insane and politically incorrect that its long overdue release in the U.S. is enough to give one hope for the future of home entertainment. Sporting a cast consisting entirely of little people (think Terror of Tiny Town via Godard), the film posits a world populated entirely by dwarfs and midgets where all of society's rules begin to break down in favor of a new world order.
A linear plotline would be impossible to describe, but Even Dwarfs focuses primarily on an institution where the dwarfs and midgets have begun a war between each other. The escalating insanity consumes their supervising wardens and the animals surrounding the institute. Chickens are tossed through windows, the dwarfs mount a huge dead pig, a monkey is crucified to boards (an image memorably duplicated by Nine Inch Nails), cars are decimated and torched, and in the unforgettable final scene, Hombre, the happiest of midgets, chortles hysterically for several minutes on end as he waits for a camel to relieve itself.
Color, 1982, 157 mins. Written and Directed by Werner Herzog
Starring Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, José Lewgoy, Miguel Ángel Fuentes, Paul Hittscher / Produced by Lucki Stipetic & Werner Herzog / Music by Popol Vuh / Cinematography by Thomas Mauch
Format: DVD - Anchor Bay (MSRP $34.98)
Letterboxed (1.85:1) (16x9 enhanced) / Dolby Digital 5.1
In a career filled with unforgettable, potentially destructive performances, none can compete with the sight of Klaus Kinski in Fitzcarraldo. Kinski stars as Fitzgerald, a strong-willed and possibly insane opera devotee and rubber baron. Thanks to his powers of persuasion, his lover, Molly (Claudia Cardinale), agrees to front the money from her "respectable" prostitution career for a large steamer. Fitz plans to drag this ship through a South American jungle to establish himself in a From the opening scenes, Kinski manages a difficult balancing act which conveys his insane passion for opera (his impassioned plea outside the opera house when he and Molly arrivate late to see Enrico Caruso) and the ultimately tender motivations behind his lunatic venture. As with his other Herzog titles, much of this mania was reportedly genuine, as the director and star clashed on this production Anchor Bay's DVD appears to be mastered from the same elements used for the PAL British laserdisc, though anamorphically enhanced. This bonus aside, the image quality isn't quite as impressive as the breathtaking Nosferatu, but it's still light years ahead of the old cropped VHS version from Warner. Many scenes look a tad more washed out and grainy than they should, but the majority of the film is satisfying to watch and offers few complaints. The original German track and rather good English dub track are included, both tastefully remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, with English subtitles. The English track reveals that Cardinale was at least partially speaking her lines in English, while Kinski's voice seems more or less in sync throughout. For purists, however, the German edition will be preferable. A moderate selection of production and promotional stills are also included. In the end, for a film whose very title has become synonymous with lunacy, its treatment on DVD reveals a great deal of respect and careful planning which has certainly paid off.
Color, 1979, 107 mins.
Directed by Werner Herzog
Starring Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor, Walter Ladengast, Dan van Husen / Music by Popol Vuh / Cinematography by Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein
Format: Laserdisc (The Roan Group, MSRP $49.95), DVD (Anchor Bay, $34.95)
Letterboxed (1.85:1) / Dolby Digital 5.1
After twenty long years, German director Werner Herzog’s most famous film, Nosferatu the Vampyre, has finally been released on video in the U.S., and more importantly, this is first legitimate NTSC release of the full, uncut German version. For reasons which remain unclear (many say the insistence of studio 20th Century Fox, while Herzog himself cites the variant languages of the on-set actors), Nosferatu was shot in two versions, English and German. The English version still had to be partially redubbed because of many of the thick accents and has remained the most commonly seen print on cable TV. However, a new transfer is now available to consumers -- the German version on laserdisc, the English and German versions separately on videotape from Anchor Bay, and both versions on DVD from Anchor Bay. Happily, the wait was worth it. The picture quality is absolutely stunning, with more colors and shadows than you could ever guess from the washed-out TV prints, and the soundtrack on the German version has been tastefully remixed into Dolby Surround (limited primarily to ambient sound effects and Popol Vuh’s eerie music score, though a few moments - such as Adjani's opening scream - have been strangely pulled back in the sound mix). Klaus Kinski has one of his best roles ever as Count Dracula, who vampirizes the naive Jonathan (Bruno Ganz) and proceeds to travel by ship to Hamburg, where he brings the plague along in his quest for Jonathan’s beautiful wife, Lucy (Isabelle Adjani, who has never looked better). Many critics were frustrated by Herzog’s attempts to duplicate certain shots from the original silent version directed by F.W. Murnau, not to mention Kinski’s uncanny duplication of Max Schreck’s rodent-like vampire appearance. However, in an age where people throw fits over the thought of an arty filmmaker trying to do a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho, this is that rarest of creatures, an outstanding remake of an already classic film. In fact, Herzog’s film has taken on a life of its own outside of the original. For every person who criticizes this version as slow or derivative, it’s just as easy to find another who finds it breathtaking and haunting. The photography is stunning, with lingering images that will stay in your mind long after the film over, and the revisionist finale manages to preserve the tragic tone of the original while throwing a few new twists into the plot. The audio commentary by Herzog enhances the film even more and definitely indicates that this notorious, temperamental genius has mellowed a lot with age, definitely not the same guy who allegedly pulled a gun on Klaus Kinski during the shooting of Aguirre, the Wrath of God. He brushes off the legendary stories of his fights with Kinski and provides a number of interesting anecdotes about the location shooting and actors.
Following the positive reception of his Nosferatu remake, director Werner Herzog turned again to the classics, albeit on a much smaller scale. His intimate rendition of Georg Büchner's harrowing play, Woyzeck, tackles its narrative in a style very similar to the stage adaptations of Robert Altman, such as Streamers. Static medium shots, oppressive interiors, a brief running time, and a limited number of characters make this a tasking experience, but not one without its own rewards for the patient. Poor military officer Franz Woyzeck (Klaus Kinski) can't seem to have a moment's peace. His commanding officer forces him to perform an endless array of demeaning tasks (most notably shaving his superior's face with a straight razor), and Woyzeck's wife Marie (Eva Mattes) offers no support and seems to be cheating on him. The local doctors fail to alleviate his misery, and the onslaught of mental and physical anguish begins to take its toll on his rapidly deteriorating mind. How long can Woyzeck hold on before he finally snaps?
Many famous directors have that one special actor with whom they become associated forever. John Ford had John Wayne. Federico Fellini had Marcello Mastroianni. John Waters had Divine. And Werner Herzog had Klaus Kinski. Of course, at least as far as we know, John Wayne and John Ford never conspired to kill each other during a shoot, nor did they haul a steamship over a mountain in a rainforest. My Best Fiend (Mein liebster feind) is Herzog's oddly tranquil attempt to make sense of his relationship with Kinski, a sort of cathartic, nostalgic piece of therapy on film. It's entirely subjective and possibly unreliable, but this documentary offers the most fascinating and piercing look into the infamous lunacy of this partnership to date. My Best Fiend begins with a creepy excerpt of Kinski's early "Jesus Tour" in which he spastically insults his audience. Apparently believing himself to be a genius, a modern day Christ, and Paganini at different points in his life, Kinski was notoriously difficult to manage during filming but displayed a softer side as well to his female costars, at least according to recent interviews with the likes of Claudia Cardinale (Fitzcarraldo). The bulk of the film consists of Herzog popping in at historically significant places in Germany and revisiting the locations of their films, particularly Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Along the way he offers jaw-dropping anecdotes about their five films together, during which both men were quite clearly insane. From sleeping in huts stuffed with guinea pigs being bred for food to dealing with natives who hated Kinski so much they offered to conveniently kill him during a film, Herzog covers all the bases and, in the process, discourages any glamorous concepts about international filmmaking. As reprehensible as he may have been as a human being, Kinski doesn't come off as all bad; Herzog relates their tender moments of friendship together, and the film closes with a beautiful, haunting sequence involving a butterfly that lingers in the mind long after the end credits. Naturally Kinski is no longer with us to offer his side of the story, but for the benefit of mankind, perhaps that's just as well. Anchor Bay's DVD of My Best Fiend looks sharp and impressive throughout, not surprising for such a recent production. In a unique language option, the film can be played in the original German throughout with optional English subtitles or with an alternate audio track in which Herzog overdubs himself in English, leaving only the film and interview clips to be subtitles for those who don't feel like reading. The disc also includes the intriguing trailer prepared for the film's domestic release.
The alarming decline in American arthouse cinema after the '70s is unmistakable when one considers that latter day projects by Fellini, Kurosawa, Antonioni, and other masters remained either unreleased or thrown away in minor showings many years later outside their native countries. Most incredibly, the final Werner Herzog film starring Klaus Kinski, Cobra Verde, never saw the light of American projectors outside of a few isolated film festivals, leaving film fans the only option of seeking out bootleg videotapes to satisfy their curiosity. Fortunately the film has now resurfaced in pristine condition, and while it isn't quite the delirious accomplishment of Aguirre or Fitzcarraldo (how could it be?), this one comes very close at times and serves as a fitting coda to one of the cinema's more unusual partnerships. Francisco Manoel da Silva, an infamous bandit and rebel known as Cobra Verde (or "greensnake"), finds a profitable stint as the slave overseer for a Brazilian plantation owner. Naturally Francisco impregnates his boss' daughters - never a smart career move - and is sent off to the desolate western coast of Africa on a seemingly deadly mission to reopen the slave trade in that area from the treacherous King of Dahomey. Naturally things don't go as planned, with our antihero winning the loyalty of a huge tribe of female warriors in an uprising against the King in what can only be termed a topless version of Zulu. As expected, Francisco winds up confronting nature itself and his own internal demons in the unforgettable final act.
A completely bizarre entry in Anchor Bay's legacy of Herzog titles, Even Dwarfs will appeal far more to his experienced fans than the casual viewer. Shot in grainy black and white and presented in its original full frame aspect ratio, the film looks similar to other semi-comical monochromatic nightmares as Begotten, Eraserhead, Rape of the Vampire, and Tetsuo the Iron Man. Long available on video in the U.K., the American debut has been respectfully handled and features optional, easily legible English subtitles, as well as a running commentary track by Herzog with actors Crispin Glover (who also contibuted the inner liner notes) and Norman Hill. Obviously a labor of love, the commentary is more edgy and nostalgic than Herzog's other discussions as he recalls the outlandish circumstances surrounding the making of the film. The infamous cactus patch episode is well covered, but there are plenty of other surprises lurking inside, too. Approach with caution, but for those with open minds, Even Dwarfs Started Small easily lives up to the confusing, peculiar promise of its title.
previously isolated territory near Iquitos, Peru. Unfortunately, his task involves hauling the gargantuan steamer up a huge mountain, a seemingly impossible feat he accomplishes through the local indians (who dub him "Fitzcarraldo").
even more than the infamous Aguirre: The Wrath of God. Various stories abound regarding the injuries and deaths of many participants in the film, with Herzog and Kinski supposedly even squaring off and plotting to murder each other before the film's completion. Much of this turmoil was documented in the astonishing Burden of Dreams, Les Blank's shattering documentary following the production of the film (whose original stars included Jason Robards and Mick Jagger!). Sadly, this documentary could not be included on the DVD but would have made a perfect companion piece, despite (or because of?) its portrayal of Herzog as a raving lunatic best put out of his misery. Herzog has obviously come back down to earth quite a bit in the following years, and as with Anchor Bay's Nosferatu, he provides a rational, ingratiating commentary which understandably softpedals some of the more outrageous behind-the-scenes tales. (His producer, Lucki Stipetic, joins on the track as well.) As with all Herzog titles, Fitzcarraldo abounds with stunning, slowly paced imagery which will either captivate audiences or bore them to tears, depending upon one's personal tastes. For the patient, the film offers a number of rich rewards, culminating in the unforgettable dual climaxes (one physical, the other emotional) which rank as some of Herzog's finest filmmaking ever. Progressive rock group Popol Vuh provides yet another hypnotic, unforgettable score, laced as usual with opera and classical selections, and the entire cast ranging from professionals to memorable indian amateurs seems entirely convincing throughout.
To round things out, the laser also includes trailers for the English language and subtitled versions, as well as a nifty little Spanish trailer (zooming in and out of movie stills, in the same vein as Suspiria); the DVD includes these as well, plus a fun 12-minute "making of" featurette in which Hertzog speaks (in English) during shooting and we can see the crew at work. Picture quality differences between the laser and DVD are negligible, and for your money, the DVD is obviously the better bargain (and the subtitles are optional!).