The stark, sweeping visions of vast, desolate landscapes and destruction beyond imagination; the stirring classical pieces filling the soundtrack; the filmmaker's sparse, detached narration, and even more scant interviews with select individuals: I don't know what aspect of 'Lessons of darkness' is more arresting and impactful. There are portions of this - some of the visuals themselves, and the way they were captured - that on the face of it would be beautiful, in a way both majestic and sad, if they weren't so sorrowfully haunting in recognition of the meaning of the imagery, and what precipitated it. Rarely if ever has Werner Herzog removed himself so much from his subject, rather presenting as a visitor from another planet, and in that especially dispassionate observation lies a power that to some degree unexpectedly surpasses the filmmaker's works in which he assumes a more active role.
The feature is so ruefully plainspoken that it surely wouldn't hold much appeal for moviegoers who don't already engage with documentaries generally, or who aren't enamored of Herzog specifically. The majority of these 54 minutes is simply unadorned footage of the aftermath of a swift but terrible conflict - an aftermath that is devastating in more ways than can be succinctly recounted. Yet this is all 'Lessons of darkness' needs to be to make its mark; any viewer with the capacity to See, and Feel, without being Told, will understand for themselves the dreadful, awe-inspiring horror each shot and segment portends. Herzog has made very clear his ambition with this picture, and he achieves it: the sights to greet us are spellbinding, extraordinary, alien, and uniquely disquieting; they are, however, also unquestionably of Earth.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in this case that is painfully true. Herzog's fascination with humanity, in all its complexity good or ill, is here revealed through a selection of scenes in which humans are heavily deemphasized if not altogether absent. Even so, the knowledge we possess of the part human activity plays in turn speaks volumes about our capabilities - not even for "good" or "evil," but for creation, or destruction. As if to emphasize the point: the handful of words of narration provided in the twelfth segment, "Leben ohne Feuer," directly addresses this conflict of potential, and in so doing rivals the footage itself in very effectively evoking unease in the discerning audience.
No, as a matter of personal preference this won't be for everyone. Still, there's an incredible artistry and weight in the presentation that's difficult to describe without seeing it for oneself. If you have so much as an inkling of curiosity about non-fiction features or Werner Herzog's prolific oeuvre, 'Lessons of darkness' is an essential watch.
The feature is so ruefully plainspoken that it surely wouldn't hold much appeal for moviegoers who don't already engage with documentaries generally, or who aren't enamored of Herzog specifically. The majority of these 54 minutes is simply unadorned footage of the aftermath of a swift but terrible conflict - an aftermath that is devastating in more ways than can be succinctly recounted. Yet this is all 'Lessons of darkness' needs to be to make its mark; any viewer with the capacity to See, and Feel, without being Told, will understand for themselves the dreadful, awe-inspiring horror each shot and segment portends. Herzog has made very clear his ambition with this picture, and he achieves it: the sights to greet us are spellbinding, extraordinary, alien, and uniquely disquieting; they are, however, also unquestionably of Earth.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in this case that is painfully true. Herzog's fascination with humanity, in all its complexity good or ill, is here revealed through a selection of scenes in which humans are heavily deemphasized if not altogether absent. Even so, the knowledge we possess of the part human activity plays in turn speaks volumes about our capabilities - not even for "good" or "evil," but for creation, or destruction. As if to emphasize the point: the handful of words of narration provided in the twelfth segment, "Leben ohne Feuer," directly addresses this conflict of potential, and in so doing rivals the footage itself in very effectively evoking unease in the discerning audience.
No, as a matter of personal preference this won't be for everyone. Still, there's an incredible artistry and weight in the presentation that's difficult to describe without seeing it for oneself. If you have so much as an inkling of curiosity about non-fiction features or Werner Herzog's prolific oeuvre, 'Lessons of darkness' is an essential watch.