Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer (15)

★★★★ The German film-maker, actor and whispering cultural icon Werner Herzog is the subject of this affectionate and occasionally awestruck documentary from the novelist and journalist Thomas von Steinaecker. ~ The Times.

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Master filmmaker, auteur, poet, truth seeker, explorer, brand, meme, actor, lauded voice artiste, doomsayer, legend… that’s Werner Herzog.

This is the man, now 81, who had a 320-ton steamboat hauled over a steep hill in Peru, who hypnotises his actors, climbs down into volcanoes, talks to murderers on death row, cooks and eats his own shoe and was once shot at.

He’s the man who lends his voice to The Simpsons, stars in blockbusters such as The Mandalorian and the man – who in an almost magical act – walked from Munich to Paris to prevent the death of a woman film critic he greatly admired.

It is stories like these that have made this most remarkable director a cult figure the world over. 

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life, rare archive material and in-depth interviews with the man himself and celebrated collaborators – including Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and his wife Lena Herzog – we are given an exciting glimpse into his work process and personal life. 

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★★★★ "I just try to remain a good soldier of cinema," says German filmmaker Werner Herzog in this excellent documentary. ~ Radio Times.

★★★★ This account of the German film-maker’s singular career takes in numerous starry admirers but also is a portrait of an existential disruptor. ~ The Guardian.

★★★★ A fascinating portrait of the maverick film-maker, the German director is more illuminating than anyone else in this rich profile. ~ The Observer.