|
Encounters at the Edge of the World
by Brian Tallerico
STUDIO: Image
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2008
STARRING: Werner Herzog
WRITTEN BY: Werner Herzog
DIRECTED BY: Werner Herzog
FEATURES: Audio Commentary With Director Werner Herzog, Producer Henry Kaiser and Cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger
Under The Ice, Over The Ice, Dive Featurette
Dive Locker Interview: Werner Herzog Talks With Rob Robbins And Henry Kaiser Featurette
South Pole Exorcism Featurette
Seals & Men Featurette
Jonathan Demme Interviews Werner Herzog
Theatrical Trailer
 In films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Grizzly Man, and Rescue Dawn, the expert director Werner Herzog has displayed a keen appreciation and awe of nature. When I heard that Herzog was making a film about the edge of the world, about the people and animals that live in the middle of nowhere in Antarctica, I could think of no better director for the material. Just hearing Herzog say "fluffy penguins" makes me smile. Encounters at the Edge of the World is a simple and aptly titled documentary. It's a G-rated feature about the immensely talented Herzog visiting with the people who work and live in Antarctica. For example, Stefan Pashov is a hard laborer in Antartica and he tells Werner about how his mother used to read The Odyssey and The Iliad to him when he was a child and that gave him the impluse to travel. Another man studies volcanoes in the frozen tundra. Another goes under the ice.
At first, Encounters seems like a simple travelogue and it mostly stays just that but Herzog tries to get into a little bit more about the changing face of the globe. Don't worry. This is not An Inconvenient Truth or March of the Penguins - Herzog is more interested in if penguins go crazy from boredom than how they take care of their cute babies. It's a nature documentary of the variety that only Werner could make. For fans of his and fans of nature docs in general, it's a must-see. It never quite comes together like I hoped it would and kind of feels like it could have been a PBS special or series more than a feature documentary, but there's enough imagery and ideas in these Encounters to make it worth at least one viewing.
Here's an ironic thought - I think more teenagers will see nature documentaries like Encounters at the End of the World because of the PS3. A gaming system that could ultimately be educational. Why? Blu-Ray. The format was made to show off the greatest special effects studio in the universe - Mother Nature. One of the best-selling BD titles of all time is the amazing Planet Earth and titles like Step Into Liquid and Wild China look amazing on the format. Encounters at the End of the World is no exception. Herzog shot the entire movie itself with his own camera, so don't expect the slo-mo, overhead shots out of docs like Planet Earth, but Herozg does have an amazing eye for what is beautiful about the continent of Antarctica. It's a visually stunning film and it looks flawless in 1080p. I saw not one single visual flaw. It's the main reason to rent the movie.
The special features fans will find at the End of the World include an audio commentary by Herzog, his producer, and fellow cinematographer. Herzog himself narrates most of the doc, so it's a little odd to hear commentary on top of narration but the track allows for more insight into the production of and artistic intent of the film. There are also several featurettes and a must-own for Herzog fans - an interview with him by the great Jonathan Demme. Herzog fans need to add Encounters at the End of the World to their collection. It may not transcend its form like Grizzly Man and it doesn't hold up against this excellent director's best narrative work, but it is completely worth seeing on Blu-Ray and offers a nice alternative to usually-bland nature documentary genre. Herzog does nothing bland. Travel with him to the End of the World.
|
