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Editorial Reviews
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, a breathtaking new documentary from the incomparable Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man), follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man. One of the most successful documentaries of all time, CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS is an unforgettable cinematic experience that provides a unique glimpse of pristine artwork dating back to human hands over 30,000 years ago -- almost twice as old as any previous discovery.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
125 of 134 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I happen to like 3D in the theater and at home, so I want to speak to that aspect of this film.
Mr. Herzog saw the potential for 3D when he first visited the cave. He had to create his own, collapsible 3D equipment to fit through the hermetically sealed cave door, and it had to be manually adjusted for parallax depending on the distance to the image being filmed because access is via a walkway from which they could not stray. On the second visit they could use the knowledge from the first to gauge the length of extensions required to see images on the back side of pendant rocks and protrusions.
The end result is a 3D feast. The cave painters used the 3D shape of the rocks in the cave to give depth to their paintings. In one case the face of a ox is on one face of a rock and the flank of the beast corresponds to a bulge in the side of that same rock, around the corner, much as if you were viewing the animal. While the film and the paintings can be appreciated in 2D, the true artistry of the ancient painters can really only be appreciated in 3D, and Mr. Herzog was right to endure the extra hardship of lugging the 3D camera through the cave.
Bravo.
Mr. Herzog saw the potential for 3D when he first visited the cave. He had to create his own, collapsible 3D equipment to fit through the hermetically sealed cave door, and it had to be manually adjusted for parallax depending on the distance to the image being filmed because access is via a walkway from which they could not stray. On the second visit they could use the knowledge from the first to gauge the length of extensions required to see images on the back side of pendant rocks and protrusions.
The end result is a 3D feast. The cave painters used the 3D shape of the rocks in the cave to give depth to their paintings. In one case the face of a ox is on one face of a rock and the flank of the beast corresponds to a bulge in the side of that same rock, around the corner, much as if you were viewing the animal. While the film and the paintings can be appreciated in 2D, the true artistry of the ancient painters can really only be appreciated in 3D, and Mr. Herzog was right to endure the extra hardship of lugging the 3D camera through the cave.
Bravo.
80 of 85 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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"The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams"
(Directed by Werner Herzog, 2011)
--------------------------------------------
Given unprecedented access to the Chauvet Cave, a vast archeological repository located in the south of France, legendary director Werner Herzog and a minimal crew of four crawl through tunnels and balance on delicate metal catwalks, filming the extraordinary and breathtaking cave paintings found within. Herzog designed a lightweight, portable 3D camera, small enough to be brought into the cavern, so that he could capture the ways in which the ancient artists of Chauvet used the natural contours of the cave walls to enhance their artwork. Although often rough technically, it is the most meaningful use of 3D cinematography I have ever seen, placing viewers inside the space of the cave in a way that seems magical and unreal.
The Chauvet cave paintings were made over 30,000 years ago, depicting predatory animals such as bears and lions, as well as bison, rhinos, mammoths and perhaps most striking of all, a wall of beautifully rendered horses. The spiritual and artistic presence of these paintings is almost overwhelming, embued with primal, primordial history and an astonishing technical and aesthetic command: these pictures are both evocative and beautiful. Herzog approaches them reverently, and delights in their mystery, often shooting them in half-shadow or using moving, flickering light to suggest the rude torches used by their creators as well as the complete, total darkness that shrouded these powerful pictures for untold millennia. Throughout the film he intones in a soft European murmur, musing about the nature of human consciousness and the relationship of this ancient artwork to our own modern sensibilities: how much of the aesthetic and world view of this primitive culture do we carry about with us today? Some viewers may find the intellectualism and pretensions hard to take (as well as the often intrusive but oddly affecting score...) yet it is hard to deny the power of the subject.
You or I will never be able to go inside these caves -- they are closely guarded by the French government -- but in Herzog's film we can become immersed in them. Leaving the theater, walking in sunshine or under electric lights, you may marvel at the wonders that thirty thousand years of human life have brought - the works of stone and steel, plastic and glass, the layer upon layer of habitation and roads, the planes in the sky and the optical magic that brings art to life in films such as this. And, like Herzog and his crew, you may find yourself swept up by the connections we still have to the stunning pictures that lay hidden inside a dark cave for far more time than civilization itself... it is truly miraculous.
A highly recommended, deeply moving film - for the full effect see it in the theaters, if you can. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film reviews)
"The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams"
(Directed by Werner Herzog, 2011)
--------------------------------------------
Given unprecedented access to the Chauvet Cave, a vast archeological repository located in the south of France, legendary director Werner Herzog and a minimal crew of four crawl through tunnels and balance on delicate metal catwalks, filming the extraordinary and breathtaking cave paintings found within. Herzog designed a lightweight, portable 3D camera, small enough to be brought into the cavern, so that he could capture the ways in which the ancient artists of Chauvet used the natural contours of the cave walls to enhance their artwork. Although often rough technically, it is the most meaningful use of 3D cinematography I have ever seen, placing viewers inside the space of the cave in a way that seems magical and unreal.
The Chauvet cave paintings were made over 30,000 years ago, depicting predatory animals such as bears and lions, as well as bison, rhinos, mammoths and perhaps most striking of all, a wall of beautifully rendered horses. The spiritual and artistic presence of these paintings is almost overwhelming, embued with primal, primordial history and an astonishing technical and aesthetic command: these pictures are both evocative and beautiful. Herzog approaches them reverently, and delights in their mystery, often shooting them in half-shadow or using moving, flickering light to suggest the rude torches used by their creators as well as the complete, total darkness that shrouded these powerful pictures for untold millennia. Throughout the film he intones in a soft European murmur, musing about the nature of human consciousness and the relationship of this ancient artwork to our own modern sensibilities: how much of the aesthetic and world view of this primitive culture do we carry about with us today? Some viewers may find the intellectualism and pretensions hard to take (as well as the often intrusive but oddly affecting score...) yet it is hard to deny the power of the subject.
You or I will never be able to go inside these caves -- they are closely guarded by the French government -- but in Herzog's film we can become immersed in them. Leaving the theater, walking in sunshine or under electric lights, you may marvel at the wonders that thirty thousand years of human life have brought - the works of stone and steel, plastic and glass, the layer upon layer of habitation and roads, the planes in the sky and the optical magic that brings art to life in films such as this. And, like Herzog and his crew, you may find yourself swept up by the connections we still have to the stunning pictures that lay hidden inside a dark cave for far more time than civilization itself... it is truly miraculous.
A highly recommended, deeply moving film - for the full effect see it in the theaters, if you can. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue film reviews)
47 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video
The representations of the animals in these cave paintings is extraordinary. Done on cave walls, the black, what appears to be charcoal drawings, depict horses, lions, bears, bison, rhinos, mammoths, and even the bottom half of a woman. There are shadings on the pictures that are very modern looking, most reminiscent of the artwork of Joseph Beuys and Susan Rothenberg. My eleven year old daughter said "Why didn't we see this in school?" One idea in particular stuck in my mind: that they didn't have words or musical notation, so the only way they could communicate with the future was with these drawings. The esoteric mystic, Gurdjieff wrote something to the effect that true art will last for thousands of years, and that from within the artwork there will be a feeling from the artist, an essence of sorts that travels through time. It is hard to imagine that anything we make now will last as long. This movie is a must-see for anyone and everyone, as I think you can see the essence of how the artist was...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating Exploration
While this wasn't my favorite Werner Herzog work, the subject carries much interest and intrigue. A fascinating discovery that goes directly to the roots of humanity and art.
Published 3 days ago by Onthefarm
5.0 out of 5 stars
learning curve; or, everything you know is wrong
I was not exactly sure what to expect, but with a documentary, that is quite normal. Werner Herzog isn't exactly normal, is he. Read more
Published 12 days ago by James Twomey
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Celebration of Life
The unveiling of images in Chavet cave in France creates a spell-binding look into our not-too-distant past. Mr. Read more
Published 14 days ago by M
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing and Interesting
If you've ever read any of Jean Aurels books, especially the last (The Land of Painted Caves), this is what she was writing about. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Rose M.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good video!
I watched this with a friend who had heard about it from his college geology professor. It is quite interesting and I would definitely recommend it. Read more
Published 21 days ago by C. Good
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the most satisfying 3D experiences of my life
It's not often that you see a documentary that was really meant to be shot in 3D and experienced in 3D. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is one such film. Read more
Published 25 days ago by J. R. Hardman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" -- for scientists and...
"What are their hopes? What are their dreams?" Werner is in love and his impassioned interest in the artwork in the Chauvet Cave in France will tear at your heart and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by carneye
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not much video of the cave
I did not like this video as there was very little of the cave in it I wish I had my money back
Published 1 month ago by Linda J. Rogers
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Stretch
Seems there wasn't quite enough material for a feature-length movie, so he really had to work to stretch it out. Some parts worthwhile though because they're visually compelling.
Published 2 months ago by Byron Flateland
5.0 out of 5 stars
perfect for a school project
Very interesting movie about the prehistoric painting in caves in the south of france. unique documentary of caves that are not open to the public with the oldest human drawing -... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Patrice M. busnel
