I submit that Werner Herzog is one of the greatest living filmmakers, a man with a unique and compelling perspective on the human condition. I equally submit that Encounters at the End of the World, while a treat to experience, is not among the best of his work. Some of the underwater photography he was able to obtain under 
the ice shelves off Antarctica is breathtaking. The way he has candidly captured some of the odd humans who find themselves working and living in this otherworldly community is compelling. His droll narration often teeters between earnest observation and cruel humor (aimed sometimes at his subjects, sometimes at himself). At the outset he dismisses with contempt the idea that anyone might expect him to make another documentary about cute and furry penguins, and yet he eventually encounters a penguin colony and manages to capture a moment with a solitary penguin which is full of emotion despite his seemingly dispassionate observation. Reading between the lines of Herzog’s explanations, it becomes clear that Herzog isn’t sure why he came to Antarctica or what he wants to find. And though several of its parts are compelling, the lack of focus make this effort more of a travelog than a focused document. But as long as refreshments are served, it’s a travelog worth seeing.
Encounters at the End of the World
February 21st, 2009 · No Comments
Tags: Capsule · Director · Documentary
Here are this morning’s Oscar-nominated films, alphabetically. The nominees for foreign language film and documentary feature are compiled at the end of the list. (Short format nominees are listed in a 
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