Product Details

• Actors: Bruno S., Walter Ladengast, Brigitte Mira, Willy Semmelrogge, Michael Kroecher
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: German (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: January 8, 2002
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005R248
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,967 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful humanistic masterpiece from Herzog., January 27, 2005

By 

Steven Sprague "Eklecticmovies.com" (Newport Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (DVD)

In this film, Werner Herzog uses the real life enigmatic character of Kasper Hauser to ask such questions as, "Who are we?", "How do we learn?" and "What is it to be human?" Questions of such singular importance that neither science, logic or religious dogma can offer adequate answers. Great truths are felt rather than analyzed and by fleshing out the very humanness of Kasper through the incredible performance of Bruno S., we gain such a sense of right and wrong that societal convention seems out of balance and perverse. In the end we get the feeling that we can only learn anything from Kasper because he looks at the world without prejudice or preconceived notions of right and wrong. The film begins with the following written introduction: "One Sunday in 1828 a ragged boy was found in the town of N. He could hardly walk and spoke but one sentence. Later he told of being locked in a dark cellar from birth. He had never seen a human being, a tree, a house before. To this day on one knows where he came from - or who set him free." Kasper becomes for "civilized" society an experiment in humanity. The only problem is that he does not respond in expected ways, therefore, there must be something wrong with him - some scientifically explainable flaw! But through beautiful effective images we experience Kaspers humanity; the childlike joy he experiences while feeding a baby bird; tears of confusion pouring down his face after getting stung by a candle flame at the hands of those who know better; the tenderness he exhibits with an infant child. As Kasper is introduced to "high" society, essentially as a freakish novelty that can be molded into conformity through "education", it is not he who is the real freak show, but those who seem to be ashamed of their own attachment to nature. Suddenly Kasper is the only non-freak in the film! Herzog seems to have learned much from the story of Kasper Hauser and has created a beautiful testament to that spirit with this film.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Powerful Film Ever Made, January 6, 2003

By 

"youngvelvet" (Calgary, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (DVD)

Not only is The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Werner Herzog's best film but it is without question one of the 5 greatest films of all time. This movie has some of the most astonishing and powerful images ever committed to film. One of the opening shot's is that of a wheat field blowing in the wind while Pachelbel's Cannon plays and the following words appear on the screen; "Don't you hear that horrible screaming all around you? That screaming men call silence." This sequence perfectly captures the essence of this film. The beauty of suffering seen through the eyes of a man that is completing untainted and untouched by society. This movie will change your life. This movie has amazing cinematography, a genius use of music, astonishing performances and Werner Herzog's direction is unbelievable.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Dreamed to Me of the Caucasus...., March 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is maybe Herzog's warmest, most likeable film, if not necessarily his best - it is very touching and poignant without being remotely sentimental or mawkish.

Rewatching it recently I couldn't help wondering how familiar David Lynch was with this film before he made "Elephant Man". The dreamlike opening scenes where a woman's face (Kaspar's mother?) appears in soft focus and the scene with the fairground barker are irresistably reminiscent of "Elephant Man" as is much of the overall feel of the film - time to 'fess up David.

As mentioned above and as with so many of Herzog's films, the opening scenes are stunning (think of "Aguirre" and "Heart of Glass"). There also are many many memorable scenes throughout, particularly Kaspar's touching relationship with the jailer's children and those scenes where he expounds on his own peculiar logic. It must be said however that Herzog's customary slow pace renders the film less accessible to a mainstream audience than it possibly could have been.

Central to the film's success is the unforgettable performance of the mysterious Bruno S. in the title role. Bruno, an eccentric, possibly mentally ill, "street person" is far too old to play the part (Kaspar is supposed to be 16) but brings an extraordinary childlike dignity and pathos to the role - it's simply impossible to imagine a trained actor giving this performance. As with "Even Dwarves Started Small" there's no suggestion that Herzog is exploiting one of society's outcasts, at the same time there is not the merest hint of condescension either. By the way, Bruno S. would have made an excellent Beethoven if anyone had chosen to cast him as such - in my opinion!

As it is, much of the humour of the film is lost in the subtitles (Herzog's films are often funnier than they're given credit for) and, the pace is rather too slow at times and the dialogue occasionally ponderous - but this is still an excellent film and one of Herzog's best.

Coincidentally, this is one of the few Herzog films not to (directly) feature the music of Popol Vuh. However the band's leader, Florian Fricke, does appear in the film as a blind orphaned pianist called Florian (what else!). Not only that but he plays a small piece of Popol Vuh music on the piano - Kaspar's guardian is moved to say that Florian's music "sounds strange to most people" (which it does), Kaspar replies that the music "feels strong in my heart" (which it also does!).