Herzog on Herzog [Paperback]

Paul Cronin (Author), Werner Herzog (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2003

An invaluable set of career-length interviews with the German genius hailed by François Truffaut as “the most important film director alive”

Most of what we’ve heard about Werner Herzog is untrue. The sheer number of false rumors and downright lies disseminated about the man and his films is truly astonishing. Yet Herzog’s body of work is one of the most important in postwar European cinema.

His international breakthrough came in 1973 with Aguirre, The Wrath of God, in which Klaus Kinski played a crazed Conquistador. For The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, Herzog cast in the lead a man who had spent most of his life institutionalized, and two years later he hypnotized his entire cast to make Heart of Glass. He rushed to an explosive volcanic Caribbean island to film La Soufrière, paid homage to F. W. Murnau in a terrifying remake of Nosferatu, and in 1982 dragged a boat over a mountain in the Amazon jungle for Fitzcarraldo. More recently, Herzog has made extraordinary “documentary” films such as Little Dieter Needs to Fly. His place in cinema history is assured, and Paul Cronin’s volume of dialogues provides a forum for Herzog’s fascinating views on the things, ideas, and people that have preoccupied him for so many years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The German director responsible for such astounding epics as Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, and famous for his torrid collaboration with Klaus Kinski, discusses his extraordinary career in both fiction and documentary.

About the Author

Paul Cronin is a writer and filmmaker. He edited Roman Polanski: Interviews and writes for numerous publications, including Sight and Sound.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1st edition (July 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571207081
• ISBN-13: 978-0571207084
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Enigma of Werner Herzog, June 22, 2006

By 

Shaun Anderson (Nottingham/Hereford, England, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herzog on Herzog (Paperback)

There is no shortage of journal articles on the films of Werner Herzog, but sadly articles from academic journals remain generally inaccessible to the general public. It is somewhat ironic that Herzog has spent his career raging against the stifling and stultifying pursuit of film as a theoretical and academic discourse, yet his cinema has largely achieved its prominent position due to the laudatory position he is held in by the academy. This is just one of many paradoxes that lie at the heart of his cinema (another is Herzog's disavowal of political readings of his films, but in some cases such as "Even Dwarf's Started Small" this is impossible). These are just some of the areas Herzog discusses with Editor Paul Cronin in "Herzog on Herzog". Faber and Faber have been publishing this range of interview books for some years now, with other highlights including David Lynch and David Cronenberg, but Herzog's is a somewhat surprising entry. But at last fans of Herzog finally have an affordable book on his cinema, which doesn't get bogged down in academic hyperbole. Anyone searching for more anecdotes of the raving Klaus Kinski will probably be disappointed; many of the stories and views Herzog expresses have been covered before, notably on the commentary tracks of Anchor Bay's DVD releases. I find it far more interesting when the discussion is placed on films such as "Herdsmen of the Sun", "Ballad of the Little Soldiers" or "The Dark Glow of the Mountains", obscure and hard to find documentaries which have a somewhat exotic position in Herzog's filmography. However Herzog is clearly uncomfortable when asked to elucidate on the meanings and metaphors of his work and is on far stronger and entertaining ground when ranting against cinema verite, Hollywood or Film Schools.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HEART WARMING AND TOTALLY ESSENTIAL, September 10, 2005

By 

T. Batten - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herzog on Herzog (Paperback)

This amazing book is a must read for anyone who enjoy's The great man's films, as well as anyone who...you know what, I'm moved to say that this book is essential reading for all humans. Herzog inspires on each page, whether it be by his own personal experience or by the bombastic words that he barks onto the page.

I actually read this book for the first time (I've been through it 5 or 6 times now) right after my father abandoned my family to live with his new wife in cancun. I guess I was going through a rough time, maybe I needed a more stable father figure or something. Well, my therapist, the great Dr. Tucker, advised that I try Herzog to fill that void, and the mans films completely changed my life. This book is a treasure trove of information and inspiration for fans of Herzog himself or the film medium in general. True story: I work with autistic children on the middle school level, and this one boy Justin started looking through this book when I set it down from reading it on a break. He found the book so engaging that I let him take it home to finish (loaning things out to these kids is always a bad idea, but I figured I'd give it a shot)...long story short, little Justin came back to class the next day, and overnight his speech improved so dramatically that my aide called it a miracle. Anyway, if you're thinking about buying this book you will not be sorry of you do, because if you don't read this as soon as possible you are going to be really sorry. I hope this helped, and HAPPY READING!!!!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing look into the mind of a cinema troubadour, September 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Herzog on Herzog (Paperback)

This is an excellent collection of interviews with a film visionary. Herzog's take on filmmaking, and on life, is original, fearless and inspiring. As a matter of fact, upon completing the book, the reader comes to realize that for Herzog, life and film are the same thing. Filmmaking is a physical vocation that one should be prepared to cry, sweat and bleed for with no complaints. After all, it's not about you...it's about what gets on screen. The interviews are lengthy, they cover all of Herzog's movies up to his latest "Invincible." The questions are knowledgable and conversational, the flow is natural. I guarantee this book is definitely worth your time whether you are a film enthusiast or not. And definitely check out some Herzog movies, especially my favorite, "Little Dieter Needs to Fly."