I will not be doing so, but neither subtitles nor a literal understanding of the German language is necessary to appreciate this great "little" movie. As in his documentaries, Herzog displays an uncanny ability to transport the viewer into a setting in a way that conveys the often surreal experience one finds in real life itself without any artifice of production or staging. The use of music in a conspicuously sparing yet powerful and constructive way as a tool to drive both plot and emotion is a classic hallmark of Herzog's work that other directors would do well to employ instead of the modern tendency to add a complete musical background or pop music product placement throughout a film. Klaus Kinski's performance is nothing short of brilliant. His facial & bodily expression in this film could by itself be the material for an entire master class in acting. Every other character could have been substituted with stand-up cardboard cut-outs and their dialogue read by a narrator and Kinski would have made the film just as compelling. This is not a criticism in any way of the other acting performances in this film. It is simply a way of stating that Kinski's performance could have carried this as a one man show. I have read all of the other reviews and choose not to delve into plot or theme analysis other than to say that the film poses many of the basic existential questions regarding humanity. It is a film worth watching more than once, and is not one to be figured out or explained so much as to be used as a launching point for a discussion on the human condition as a whole. An absolute must watch for a serious film lover. All teenage and secondary school thespians should view this work.
