Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer — Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer(Blu Ray)

From the BFI here we have a Blu-ray release of Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer- an early 2020 documentary regarding the career of the highly respected, movingly arty, and more recently iconic German director. The disc takes in the film, and a few extras.

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer is a German/ British production. It appeared in the year 2022- directed by Traunstein, Bavaria Thomas von Steinaecker. Since 2014 he’s had a total of six credits to his name- with one of these being a feature-length doc Richard Strauss And His Heroines. His other titles are TV series episodes/ TV films.

The opens in LA, as we focus on the snaking lines of cars on concrete that make up the city & its sprawling surroundings. With some of the footage fed backwards, or artily lining up aircraft with the opening credits text. We drop down into one of the said cars- finding Mr Herzog behind the wheel- we get a few moments of talk from him. Before we drop into around twenty minutes of talking heads praising the director, and a great hits selection of clips from his fifty-nine year filmography. And I was somewhat worried- as it all felt rather fluffy, vapid, with little depth. Thankfully this initial impression passes, and what we get is( largely) a worthwhile look at the man & his work.

As the film unfolds from this point we shift back to Werner’s youth- where he & his two brothers grew up in poverty in a small Bavarian village- with his single mother doing the best she could. We get a blend of photos from this period, as well as Werner now revisiting the village of his youth- the house he lived, and the out-of-town waterfall that had an impact on him.

As we carry on, we get talk about his early short films, and how he became a vital part of New German Cinema in the 60’s. There’s a discussion of his feature-length 1968’s Signs Of Life- and how impactful it was in both starting to define his style, but also putting Germany back on the map. There discussion of his second film Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970)- with Werner revisiting some of the film's locations.

We of course get a fairly lengthy look at his breakthrough film Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1978)- its treacherous filming, and its hothead/unpredictable lead Klaus Kinski. And at this point, we get a proper introduction to Lucki Stipetic- one of Werner’s brothers, and producer/ key figure on many of the director's own films. 

We also get coverage of two other Kinski/ Herzog collaborations Fitzcarrdo (1982), and Cobra Verde (1987)- though aside from brief flashes of footage nothing on the pair's melancholic and moody take on the vampire Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979).

We then shift into the mid ’90s, and his controversial/ criticized at the time documentary Lessons In Darkness. Before shifting on to the impactful and troubling documentary Grizzly Man (2005) which helped him become somewhat of an icon in the US.

The talking heads throughout the film take in a few Hollywood actors- like Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and Robert Pattison- though sadly none from his early work. Added to these we have fellow German directors like Wim Wenders & Volker Schlöndorff. We get input from his two brothers Lucki Stipetic & Tilbert, as well as from his present/ second wife Lena, and his ex-wife Martje Grohmann. As well as a few others.

We also get a look at his work with young/ new directors, and how he has become a known/ notable figure in the US- with his appearances acting in American films, and TV episodes.

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer runs around the one-and-a-half mark, and for the most part is a worthy & informative documentary. Sure, it skips over, aside from brief flashes of clips, much of his 70’s and 80’s output. It briefly skates his documentary making- but I of course understand you can’t cram all of his sixty-year career into a normal film length. However I do think one thing most certainly should have been included- the use of music in his films, and in particular his collaboration with German musical collective Popol Vuh- who one could argue was just as important as Klaus Kinski to classic Herzog films of the 70’s & 80’s. But aside from these criticisms, it’s a worthy documentary- certainly a lot better than the rather uneven start suggests.

 

This region B Blu-Ray features a few extras. There’s additional interview footage (15.38): a selection of previously unseen material shot for the film. The Colonist (9.36): Robert A Smith’s 2022 short film, made under Herzog’s mentorship as part of the Werner Herzog Film Accelerator programme. Poster gallery: images from the Deutsche Kinemathek Werner Herzog Archive collection, and a theatrical trailer.

The first edition of this release comes presented with a twenty-five Illustrated booklet with a new essay by Geoff Andrew, The Many Faces of Werner Herzog by Kristina Jaspers, and notes on the special features and credits.

For the most part Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer mangers to balance being an informative primer to the world of this great director, as well as paying some fan service too. It’s certainly not the definitive study of the man & his work- but it’s a watchable & largely rewarding film.