Friday, January 09, 2009
END TIMES
Today's movie was Werner Herzog's documentary
Encounters at the End of the World (2007)_
We have spent a lot of time at "end of the world" places and have been fascinated by the people who are attracted to those places. Their eccentric focus.
Antartica is the ultimate end of the world.
This wonderful film celebrates the people who are there just to be at the end of the world. Linguists driving trucks.
We also visit the scientists working there and the abundant life that exists in this extreme place.
I see everything that Herzog makes. I have from his beginning when only the most isolated art houses would show his work.
Here he is totally present. Another outlander finding a "home" so to speak.
Herzog set out not to make another penguin movie so even when the penguins show up it is in a strange end of world way.
We go under water. We go to the edge of an active volcanoe. But always, the focus is on the people and the strangeness of our attraction to this place.
Yes. Everyone in this film agrees that humans are heading towards extinction. Somehow when it is said in this context it is not a bad thing.
It just is.
I also was fascinated by the stuff on neutrinos. You will like this if you like science and weirdness.
I will be seeing it again in my Herzog film fest to be held later.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
