Customer Reviews

Heart Of Glass ( Herz aus Glas ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this DVD because I was intrigued by the description of a small village gripped by insanity following the death of a glassmaker. But when I watched it I immediately dubbed it horrible. I felt as though it had killed me.

After that night, though, I couldn't get the pictures out of my head. I could vividly recall scenes from the film, and as they played out in my mind they seemed so beautiful. The more I thought, the more I realized that I had merely watched the movie with the wrong idea, expecting something that it was not. The attitude of the movie became clear to me. When I watched it the second time I was stunned by how amazingly well the stupor and dazed madness of the town was portrayed. The events and actions of the characters engulfed me and drew me into the story. The hypnotic trance of the actors provides an effect I have never seen before. This truly is a great film if you are prepared for it.

It's not a veiled secret that the actors in this movie were hypnotized before the camera started rolling. If you didn't know that already then you'd catch it in the commentary. Similarly, the viewer feels hypnotized as well. There is a sense of impending doom that clouds over this film and the audience can feel it. Yet, like the actors the audience can't bear to look away from what is transpiring on the screen. Somehow, Herzog is a master at including beautiful landscape shots in his films and this film is no exception starting out with a great sequence full of nature shots. What comes after that is much more interesting and natural, to me anyway. Herzog also has a way of capturing a fiction that feels documentary to the way the undercurrent of life can sometimes go. His ablility to expose this is one thing that makes him great. This film may seem less essential to the person who loves his commonly held classics like "Aguirre: the wrath of God" "Fitzcarraldo" and "Woyzek," but it still carries the Herzog standard of quality and I find it more interesting than the other films simply because I feel it skims across a more interesting terrain that otherwise wouldn't be exposed.

There is only one word to describe this movie: Uncanny. The director has hypnotized the actors. They meander through the movie,lost and not quite at home, their blank stares leaving imprints on the consciousness of the viewer. Not a gimmick. Much too complex to be a gimmick. The intense visual imagery, characteristic of all herzog movies, is in this movie the most haunting and unnerving. It may not be as sound in plot, or as epic as Fitzcarraldo or Kaspar Hauser, but for people who don't need something substantial to happen every 5 seconds in a film (and so those who don't suffer from television or hollywood induced Attention Deficit Disorder)Heart of Glass no doubt will be a force of visual fury, done subtly but surely, evoking the uncanny upon each viewing.

Given Anchor Bay's exhaustive catelogue of Herzog films, superbly engineered and laden with valuable extras, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of "Heart of Glass" on DVD, a film which ranks among the director's most enigmatic and challenging works (and considering Herzog's reputation for weaving eerie stories and for surreal character studies, this is saying alot). Ever since Anchor Bay's glorious widescreen remastered tranfer of Fitzcarraldo, a title which had been out of print for years, this studio's committment to the excellence of their Herzog releases has been truly commendable. I have often criticized the lackluster foreign film releases published by New Yorker, Kino, Fox Lorber, and even Anchor Bay, so I think it is important to pay due respect when a studio releases DVDs of such high and consistent quality. With the pending release of this film, along with the "Enigma of Kaspar Hauser," "Stroszek," and the superp, very rare documentaries "Lessons of Darkness" and "Fata/Morgana," among others, Anchor Bay's exhaustive Herzog catalogue is nearing completion. I must admit that upon the first Herzog DVD release of the director's well-known remake of "Nosferatu," I never anticipated this studio to follow with so many outstanding, widescreen transfers of rare early and later Herzog gems.

Next to "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," "Heart of Glass" is probably my favorite Herzog film. Along with the "Enigma of Kaspar Hauser," it is also probably the director's most challenging work. While I am unable to document any connection, the influence of this film on the work of David Lynch seems undeniable. I first saw "Heart of Glass" after the premature demise of "Twin Peaks," and was amazed by the parallels between the two works. The film's quirky characters, eerie locations, and hypontic pacing breathed new life into the world Lynch had created in his television series. Of course, if Twin Peaks was not to your taste, you will probably not like "Heart of Glass," although I by no means wish to conflate the two works. However, do not expect to understand this film after one viewing or even two or three. Besides retelling an old Bavarian legend, this is a picture that confronts its viewer with an entirely new and absorbing world, which would be impossible to fully aprecciate after one sitting. If you ask me, this is precisely the type of film that you will want in your library.

In addition, Anchor Bay has complemented its digitally remastered widescreen transfer with audio commentary by Werner Herzog (for whatever reason, Amazon has failed to mention this point in its product description). Although I cannot comment on the quality of the transfer, since the DVD will not be released for at least a couple more weeks, given the overall excellence of past releases of Herzog films, I would highly recommend that you preorder this DVD. I can also add that the widescreen presentation has been enhanced for widecreen televisions. Even if, like me, you do not yet have access to HDTV, you will be grateful for this feature in 10 years. A highly recommended film and DVD release!

For once I am (almost) speechless. I just don't know how I feel about this film yet. I am a fan of Herzog, but this exists in its own universe and aside from pacing seems unlike other films of his I have seen. Bear in mind that I only saw this last night and have not viewed it with the commentary yet.

I must say that at first I found it almost laughable-- a sort of stereotypical excersize in Germanic avant-garde, cynical, impenetrable arthouse schtick. I thought it would make excellent fodder for a spoof ala Saturday Night Live's "Schprockets" skits. However, I could never once take my eyes from the screen and as it progressed I felt surrounded by the images and characters. As another reviewer said, they disliked the film at first but found later that they were haunted my scenes from the film. It is a lot like that. It is a lot like being hypnotized, which appears to have been an aim of Herzog's. Upon reflection, the only thing that really bothered me about the film is that the Popol Vuh music during some segments seemed out of place. I tend to like it when period pieces retain period music.

This is not a movie that many in America would find enjoyable, where there must be explicit sex or a shootout or car chase within the first five minutes for it to be acceptable to the popular palette. But for those oh-so-pretentious "aht" types, this is drool fuel, and for those more reasoned and critical lovers of film and admirers of Herzog, this simply must be seen. Perhaps the most enigmatic film I have ever watched. It is beyond loving it or hating it, thus the 3 stars. The film is here. It exists, and now is lodged in my subconscious forever. I don't know how to feel about that.

Herzog is a master of the off-beat (though I cannot recommend some of his recent films like 'Cobra Verde and 'Invincible'). His approach in 'Heart of Glass' is experimental and strangely beautiful. It has a sort of contemplative, mystical feel - with some of the greatest imagery put to film since the silent era. Along with Tarkovsky, Herzog is one of the greatest directors at capturing atmosphere and completely absorbing his audience with it - whether or not they are prepared for such a journey. I am not at all surprized by some of the negative reviews of this film - as it is out of the ordinary - but for me it is out of the ordinary in a transcendental way - like all great works of art.

Upon reading the plot synopsis of Werner Herzog's "Heart of Glass", one might be fooled into expecting a rather straightforward narrative, albeit with Herzog's characteristic lingering and glacial pacing, and his fascination with staggering footage of the natural world. One would be fooled indeed with this film, as it is anything but straightforward, and can barely be called a narrative at all. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but forewarned is forearmed, so they say.

I do not believe there is much point in a reductionist critique of this film, no reason to point to a particular scene and attempt to divine Herzog's intention. A film like this works as a whole, or fails. This one fails, much like the man who has an extremely vivid dream fails when he tries to describe it the next day. Frankly, I had a difficult time making it through the entire movie, though I was able, as if sleepwalking, to finish.

I don't know what Herzog was trying to accomplish with this film, and he didn't engage me enough to spend any more time trying to figure it out. His efforts such as Stroszek and Aguirre, the Wrath of God are far more captivating and thought provoking because he gives the viewer something to work with instead of the mish-mash that is "Heart of Glass".

There are three reasons I gave this film the middle of the road ranking of three stars. The first has to do with an extraordinary scene in the middle of the story - very closely resembling documentary footage - of a circle of glass blowers working around a single, mammoth furnace. This scene, relative to the story but in no way advancing it, went on for at least five minutes, but was some of the most entrancing screen time of the entire movie. The second was the ending, which some reviewers called an epilogue. I suppose that is technically true, since it had nothing to do with the rest of the story, but since so many of the scenes seemed to have little to do with one another, this last was scarcely out of place. I won't go into detail, but I thought it perhaps entailed all of the elements Herzog was attempting throughout the movie, except done in a way that was engaging to me personally. I began to think that all of his diversions, all of the seeming random bits thrown in were his way of saying that everything is connected - nothing can be considered without examining each thread, each tangent, even if the limits of filmmaking allow this only for one brief lingering moment.

Lastly, though this film fails, I think it's important that there are directors who risk failure, and who, even in their failure, still produce efforts that challenge viewers to see the world through their lens. In Herzog's case, and in "Heart of Glass" particularly, there are no visual cues as to what the viewer should be feeling or experienceing - we're asked to come up with that all on our own. That isn't the type of entertainment most of the world expects or wants. There will always be only a dedicated minority for a film like this. Once you know which camp you are in, then you'll know if it's right for you. Or not.

This is amongst the most poetic, mysterious, and mystical films Werner Herzog has ever given us (and for him, that's saying something). Many have recounted the story behind the production that all of the cast (except the lead actor) were hypnotized before shooting. It gives the actors another worldly appearance. I really love the soundtrack by Popol Vuh. The opening scenes from this film are amongst the most beautiful I've ever seen in a film, with Popol Vuh's music giving such a deep, majestic feel to the film. The film was based on a Bavarian legend about a glass maker who died without leaving his secrets, and the townspeople went insane aftewards. The film is really told mostly through imagery and sound. Dialogue here seems incidental. Herzog was on a tear in the 1970's, making brilliant film after brilliant film. He lost a little bit of his "mojo" after Fitzcarraldo, but since has gained it back with some amazing documentaries. This is Herzog's most underrated film, one that grows stranger and mysterious with each consecutive viewing.

'Heart of Glass' is one of Werner Herzog's least accessible films, but of all his works, this isn't one to take apart rationally...better instead to drown in its subtle and mysterious symbolism.

Based on Bavarian folklore, it concerns a town famous for its beautiful ruby glass. But then the man who holds the secret of the glassmaking dies.

The ruby glass, combining liquid, fire, air and earth, is a symbol of higher human culture. With its loss, things start breaking down, decaying, just like the theft of Idun's apples in the Norse 'Eddas'. When the townsfolk get desperate, they begin to use unworthy means to discover the secret. Strange revolutionary prophecies fill the air, and the master of the town sets the factory on fire. Things even degenerate to blood sacrifice, like in Mel Gibson's 'Apocalypto' (which shows the Mayan culture in its own degenerate phase).

The parallels to our time are unmistakable. People are brittle and decadent, their 'civilization' something bequeathed to them by the higher men of the past. The difference is, in 'Heart of Glass' when people realise the secret is gone they start to panic. In our own time, they don't even acknowledge the decline, merely laugh at it with irony, then go home, with perhaps a nagging feeling they are missing something in their lives...

An apocalyse is only the prelude to a new beginning, however...and the haunting ending to 'Heart of Glass' reflects this perfectly.

German filmmaker Werner Herzog is not an artist to be underestimated, even in his lesser films, like 1976's Heart Of Glass (Herz Aus Glaus) because his films tend to have a cumulative power, in that they get better with each successive viewing. Ok, technically, the films are the same, but because they are so dense, layered, and multifarious, an appreciation and understanding of them is almost inevitable with a second or third viewing- one of the benefits that foreign films, and films with DVD commentaries afford and reward viewers with. The film in the Herzog canon this most reminds me of is his Even Dwarfs Started Small, another film that is so `out there' it holds a fascination over the viewer, even if it fails to achieve greatness, or even coherence.
Heart Of Glass combines the quirkiness of Even Dwarfs Started Small with the somnambulism of Night Of The Living Dead, the landscapes of the fictive Lord Of The Rings trilogy (albeit without the benefit of any special effects), and the period eye level realism of Herzog's own The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser. The oft-repeated legend behind the film, propagated relentlessly by the notoriously tall tale telling Herzog, is that he personally hypnotized the whole cast, and one can almost believe it, given the leaden, faraway way the actors recite their lines. Yet, the film veers between this living cross between a marionette show and Noh theater and stunning musical interludes featuring the gorgeous landscapes (mountains, clouds, and waterfalls) of Bavaria and Alaska, often shot through gauzey filters that render the natural imagery as almost moving paintings upon a canvas; one designed to likewise lull the viewer into a mesmerized state. It is also like crossing mime with MTV music videos, only without having to laugh.... As usual, the music in the film, from the opening yodeling, to what seems to be monastic chanting, to the playing of a hurdy-gurdy, is excellent, and arranged by Popol Vuh's Florian Fricke. The cinematography, by Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein, as mentioned, is stunning, and many aspects of this film- from that cinematography, to certain odd sequences, such as a `bar fight' between Wudy and Ascherl, where they break glass steins and pour beer over one another, or a later scene where Wudy dances with Ascherl's corpse, just lodge jaggedly in one's psyche, which show that the hypnotizing of the cast was something more than a mere `gimmick' to sell the film. Also of note, in the cast, is an early Herzog cast regular, the dwarfish Clemens Scheitz, as the Master's man-servant, Adalbert. Thus, the film falls into that class of art beyond a good or bad axis, and onto one that is simply `interesting' or `worthwhile,' for it is not a masterpiece- as it is too unstructured and narratively anomic, nor is it a bad film- as it is too laden with great images and jaggedly lodged moments.
Heart Of Glass is a film that seems to call out for critical dissection, even as such a task would rob the film of its ineffable power, such as poetic scenes of glassblowers attempting to replicate the Ruby Glass formula, or a scene of an ugly and retarded girl named Paulin dancing topless on a table with a duck that seems to have the beak wattle of a chicken or turkey. there is nothing that prepares one for such an image, but once it has been unreeled, there is no putting the proverbial genies back in the glass. That Heart Of Glass is only 94 minutes long is both a good and bad thing: good, for the tedium of some of the somnambulism bores, and bad, for the images could hold one's fascination for hours- sort of like Godfrey Reggio's -Quatsi films do, only even more powerful. Werner Herzog shows, in this film, that a great artist can still touch greatness in works that are not his best, but it is the fact that a film like this, clearly in the lower half of the Herzog canon, is still leagues better than all but the top ten or twelve films put out by the American film marketing machine which proves that Herzog's work will live as long as, or longer than, the many legends his masterful films retell.