The life and work of Werner Herzog

Greetings, fellow forum members! I noticed we haven't engaged in much discussion about him here, so I thought it would be only right to start the conversation. You might find this interesting, but I am opening this thread for a filmmaker whom I personally consider to be somewhat overrated; in truth, it is quite rare for me to find one of his feature films that truly resonates with me. Last night, I sat down for the first time to watch his 1999 documentary, My Best Enemy, which explores his volatile relationship with the controversial actor Klaus Kinski.

To be perfectly honest, I found the documentary far more compelling than any of his scripted works. Even though I was already somewhat familiar with the history behind it, watching the film allowed me to conclude that Werner Herzog is a significantly more fascinating individual than he is as a director or screenwriter. As it happens, if I am not mistaken, his film Queen of the Desert is airing tonight on HBO, so I plan to tune in. I am curious to hear your thoughts on Werner Herzog—do you believe his reputation is inflated, and in your estimation, which of his films stands as his finest achievement?

Right after Queen of the Desert, Werner Herzog shot six more features, and he’s got two others in pre-production—well, officially announced anyway...

Personally, he’s one of my absolute favorite directors. Even if not every single thing he touches is a masterpiece, I've seen pretty much all of them!

I really can't get behind the idea that he's overrated. He has these incredible movies and documentaries with such a distinct vibe, and his commentary? It's iconic... just part of his DNA. But maybe his biggest trademark is that total lack of compromise. He dives into every project headfirst, which makes his "the ends justify the means" approach pretty controversial for some people ethically... but looking at what he actually produces, I don't see the problem at all!

I'm thinking mostly about all those wild stories and controversies that have followed him throughout his career. Like how he supposedly teaches students in his workshops how to pick locks and pull off successful break-ins, including 😬 and even some of the chaos on set... specifically that intense dynamic with Klaus Kinski, or the madness of filming Fitzcarraldo where he actually decided to haul a boat over a mountain just to get the shot!

Plus, Aguirre was clearly a huge influence on Coppola's Apocalypse Now, and it was also the first in that series of films starring Klaus Kinski.

When it comes to his documentaries, Grizzly Man, Encounters at the End of the World, Little Dieter Needs to Fly, and Into the Abyss are just top-tier. I also really loved White Diamond and Into the Inferno to start with...

It's pretty interesting that he did a scripted version for Little Dieter starring Christian Bale, which many people consider one of the best out there (Rescue Dawn)... though it didn't quite click for me personally. I still prefer the documentary.

I don't know what everyone else thinks, but I actually enjoyed Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage, too. As for Queen of the Desert, that’s probably the weakest one I've watched.

There are plenty of other titles worth mentioning, but this is just what jumps to mind right now without even hitting Google...😁

I had no idea he went on to film as many as six more movies after that period. He really is such a fascinating individual; there are endless anecdotes from his sets, especially regarding > and >—from the time he actually swiped a camera just to ensure he could keep filming, to the sheer madness of hauling that boat through the jungle, not to mention those legendary temper tantrums from >. Then there were the constant budget constraints that forced him to get incredibly creative with his methods. To be perfectly honest, though, I don't find his films themselves to be particularly gripping or standout works. He even remarked once that certain productions were actually more interesting than the finished movies. That said, > was a huge admirer of his work. In fact, he even placed > on his list of the top ten greatest films of all time.

How on earth can anyone claim that Aguirre isn't striking? That one long sequence with the rafts, the river, and the deep jungle... it honestly hits harder than the entire filmography of some directors I could name... After seeing that, movies like The Lost City of Z just look pale and amateurish by comparison.
Queen of the Desert is just a bad, kitschy mess, so don't go expecting much from it.

My all-time favorite Herzog film remains "Heart of Glass." It’s one of those movies that just sticks with you.

He’s been acting super hyperproductive lately, which isn't necessarily a good thing because... well, when it comes to his features, quality seems to be taking a backseat to quantity.

I mean, his latest flick, Salt and Fire, hasn't really landed well with anyone, and even his documentaries aren't hitting quite as hard as they used to. Take Lo and behold, for example. It’s fine, it’s charming enough, but it doesn't really break new ground. I mostly just remember those few quirky scenes, like the one with a bunch of Tibetan monks staring at their smartphones while he wonders, "What are they doing? Are they tweeting?" 😁

He’s always had this fascination with the extremes of human nature—pushing people right to the edge of what they can endure. He’s gone through different phases, sure, but his work usually feels like an adventure, whether it’s a scripted movie or a doc. And he always finds these wildly eccentric characters... kind of like himself, actually!

In his documentaries, the focus is often on his own commentary blending with these deep philosophical messages. He’s pretty much the king of that subjective style. Most documentary directors stay behind the lens and let the footage speak, but not him.

And you can't forget that unmistakable voice! That heavy German accent gives everything such a unique layer as a storyteller. Honestly, if anyone else tried to pull that off, it would either feel incredibly pretentious or just like a cheap attempt at being Werner Herzog.

It’s rare to find a director who leaves such a massive, unmistakable fingerprint on everything they make. That’s why he’s truly one of a kind.

Back in the seventies, he churned out maybe six or seven absolute masterpieces—still easily the most impressive run any single director has ever pulled off in a single decade. And honestly? Even beyond that. 😁

His stuff from the 70s was peak—honestly, in terms of sheer genius and how much he pumped out, I’d say the only one who even comes close is Rainer Werner Fassbinder during that New German Cinema era. Everything after that felt way weaker, just the occasional flash of greatness here and there. Mind you, I watched him ages ago in a big retrospective, so I definitely need to refresh my memory on some titles and finally catch his newer stuff.

Edit: Okay, total waste of time typing that out. 😁 (Basically what Dennis Martin6 is saying above.)

Werner Herzog is definitely one of those standout figures from the New German Cinema era—and despite his ups and downs, he’s clearly a true, restless Artist who maybe lacks a bit of self-control. He seems driven to explore everything to its absolute limit. He might hit a home run one year and miss the mark the next, but I guess he's always incredibly fascinating to watch.

Stroszek is arguably the finest portrait of America ever captured by a foreign director. While Wenders’ American Friend is certainly a top-tier depiction of the States, I still find myself gravitating toward Herzog; he remains my personal favorite among that circle of filmmakers once labeled the New German Cinema.

Right now, these are my favorite films of his:

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1970)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065436...=nm_flmg_dr_66
Total dwarf madness.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068182...=nm_flmg_dr_62
Solid choice.

Stroszek (1977)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075276...=nm_flmg_dr_56
Pure depression. That scene with the loose chicken is just bleak—sad, infectious, and incredibly heavy.

Nosferatu (1979)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079641...=nm_flmg_dr_54
That crowd scene toward the end is a masterpiece; it really captures a sense of collective insanity.

Fitzcarraldo (1982)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083946...=nm_flmg_dr_50
The Amazon, opera, and a massive ship—it’s the kind of film only an American version of The German could pull off.

Grizzly Man (2005)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312...=nm_flmg_dr_23
A truly unique documentary.

Rescue Dawn (2006)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462504...=nm_flmg_dr_21
Really great.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1095217...=nm_flmg_dr_19
I watched the good one with Christopher Walken back in the nineties once, but I've seen this one three times now—it's excellent.
It's the perfect role for Nicolas Cage: a detective stumbling through New Orleans after a hurricane, high on every drug imaginable, much like
some legendary rock bands from the last century.

Honestly, he’s just a pretentious bore. It all feels incredibly fake to me. His documentaries aren't even that good; they don't offer anything deep, spiritual, or meditative.

He has a couple of decent films, but nothing special.

Everything about him feels performative and superficial—especially documentaries like Grizzly Man and Into the Abyss. As for those other movies? I don't even want to waste my breath commenting on them.

"Every Man for Himself and God against All"—this isn't some shallow, surface-level imitation. It’s the real deal.

Exactly. If Werner Herzog isn't the real deal, then who is? 🤷

fadedmason7 said:Exactly. If Werner Herzog isn't authentic, then who is?

I don't know. Maybe you people have some deep connection to his work, but I just don't.

To me, it all feels fake—just completely hollow. Sure, he can be "authentic," but it’s always like Grizzly Man or Into the Abyss; superficial, pathetic, and totally pointless in my eyes.

He has a few decent movies, but nothing special.

It's all a matter of taste, obviously. Connections...

Grizzly Man is pure genius. I think I’ve seen a couple of his other films, but honestly, the memories are a bit fuzzy.

I finally sat down to watch The Queen of the Desert, and honestly? It was forgettable. While there’s no question that Werner Herzog is the real deal, I completely agree regarding that lack of emotional connection. My biggest struggle with his work is that I can never quite pin down a definitive "character" to his films. They don't feel like the artistic, experimental pieces you see from someone like Terrence Malick, yet they aren't exactly classic dramas either. They aren't pure adventures, nor are they traditional historical epics. He seems to take a little bit of everything and throw it into the mix, which is exactly what frustrates me. I just can't seem to get a firm grip on his cinematic identity. Perhaps that's precisely why people gravitate toward him—that unpredictability sets him apart—but for me, it just leaves me feeling like nothing is quite concrete.

Man, if it wasn't for this whole virus circus, I probably would've sat down a couple of months ago and knocked out a much bigger chunk of his filmography on the big screen. 🙂

Lik has some excellent tweets; https://twitter.com/wernertwertzog

The last one I caught was Sol. It’s sitting at a 4.2 on IMDb, which is honestly being way too generous...