Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Werner Herzog – 2011 – Germany
  

It’s old news by now, but I can’t help still marveling at the way Werner Herzog has re-emerged in this latter phase of his career as one of our premier documentarians, one who persists is making artistic documentaries rather than “agenda” documentaries.  Herzog remains possibly the only filmmaker in the world equally adept at fiction and non-fictional films.  He has always made documentaries, of course, (including some of the best since the late 60s), but in his heyday they always took a back seat to his sublime and near-mythic features; films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) and Heart of Glass (1976).  With the weakening of his narrative feature work since the 80s, though, his documentary work intensified to near perfection by the time of recent triumphs like The White Diamond (2004), Grizzly Man (2005) and now Cave of Forgotten Dreams.  In some ways, this latest film is one of the more traditional (i.e. least idiosyncratic) of his documentaries, but if so, it’s only because the material is so compelling on its own that it doesn’t demand more artful or surreal handling by Herzog.  Nevertheless, all the treasured hallmarks of a Herzog documentary are present; languorous camera movements, haunting music, an anthropologist’s fascination with human endeavor, a reverence for nature tinged with fear and horror, and of course Werner’s own soothing voice narrating in his soft German accent.  I’ve read some irate complaints about Herzog’s narration, and I don’t understand them at all.  These people may be reacting to the striking difference between a Herzog film and a standard documentary and may automatically take this for a weakness.  I, however, find that Herzog’s voice has become just as invaluable a staple of his films as any other elements we associate with him, and it’s absurd to suggest that he should prune that away from his palate just at a time when cinema is on the verge of becoming completely homogenized and devoid of the sharp personalities of individual filmmakers. 

(The DVD contains an equally fascinating film by Herzog about the production of the musical score for Cave of Forgotten Dreams.)