(Since I had a lot to say on this film, I divided my essay into two parts. For purposes of coherence, please read the first part if you have not done so already)
It is in the second half of the film where Herzog begins to theorise as to what would happen if we took what Brakhage said and applied it to the "real" world. Herzog's vision is not optimistic, but at the same time it does not imply that there is no merit in seeing with an "untutored eye". When Stroszek and his friends first arrive in America, we see through their eyes. Although they are impressed by the things we all would be impressed by, such as New York City and its Empire State Building, they also find awe in things we would find mundane or even ugly. The town of Railroad Flats, Wisconsin, although we as an audience can see it is nothing special, is shot by Herzog as if seen through the eyes of Stroszek and his friends. The photography in these early scenes is beautiful, the rusted out machinery of the small town made almost unnoticeable by stunning sunsets, and arresting shots such as one taken of the Wisconsin landscapes reflected off a hubcap. This shot recalls the opening image in its way of making the mundane beautiful by distorting what we see. Even a frozen pond is shown to be perfectly round, as if it is God's perfect little creation.
Soon however, this view of the world through the "untutored eye" is corrupted. Herzog gives us several reasons for this, none of which suggest that an "untutored" view is "incorrect", but which do suggest that it might be impossible in the world we live in. It could be that the eye finally gets used to what it is seeing, and is able to tutor itself. Indeed, we gradually see images that get increasingly less pleasant. At one point we see Stroszek's American host drunkenly pulling his own teeth out with a pair of pliers. This scene is both humorous and disgusting. Unlike the scene at the beginning where Stroszek's friend lights his fart, this scene is not infused with as sense of "innocence". There is something obviously much more disturbing about it. Nonetheless, we see Stroszek himself watching this with almost no expression on his face, and that helps us accept the scene. We may find it gross but we do not find it horrifying. The eye has not fully "tutored" yet.
The final scene is the one we finally find horrifying. Stroszek killing himself while repeated shots of dancing animals trapped in cages play before our eyes. The frenetic hillbilly music playing on the soundtrack helps make this sequence seem all the more grotesque. It is ironic however, that although what we see is much more cynical than what we saw at the beginning of the film, the tone is still one of surrealism and wonderment. The scene, although horrifying, is riveting. It's almost as if the eye although having lost its sense of seeing beauty in everything, still sees with a unique and perceptive viewpoint. The music clues us in to perhaps another reason why the "untutored eye" cannot stay that way forever. It falls under the influence of the other senses. One must remember that Stan Brakhage is the perfect person to make the statement that he did, because his films are completely silent. There is no need to rely on any other senses, physical or emotional, because they are non-narrative films. The ideas that Brakhage expresses are perfect for thinking about film, but Herzog proves that it does not work in reality because no matter how hard we try to imagine "the beginning of the world", it was simply too long ago for any of us to remember.
It is in the second half of the film where Herzog begins to theorise as to what would happen if we took what Brakhage said and applied it to the "real" world. Herzog's vision is not optimistic, but at the same time it does not imply that there is no merit in seeing with an "untutored eye". When Stroszek and his friends first arrive in America, we see through their eyes. Although they are impressed by the things we all would be impressed by, such as New York City and its Empire State Building, they also find awe in things we would find mundane or even ugly. The town of Railroad Flats, Wisconsin, although we as an audience can see it is nothing special, is shot by Herzog as if seen through the eyes of Stroszek and his friends. The photography in these early scenes is beautiful, the rusted out machinery of the small town made almost unnoticeable by stunning sunsets, and arresting shots such as one taken of the Wisconsin landscapes reflected off a hubcap. This shot recalls the opening image in its way of making the mundane beautiful by distorting what we see. Even a frozen pond is shown to be perfectly round, as if it is God's perfect little creation.
Soon however, this view of the world through the "untutored eye" is corrupted. Herzog gives us several reasons for this, none of which suggest that an "untutored" view is "incorrect", but which do suggest that it might be impossible in the world we live in. It could be that the eye finally gets used to what it is seeing, and is able to tutor itself. Indeed, we gradually see images that get increasingly less pleasant. At one point we see Stroszek's American host drunkenly pulling his own teeth out with a pair of pliers. This scene is both humorous and disgusting. Unlike the scene at the beginning where Stroszek's friend lights his fart, this scene is not infused with as sense of "innocence". There is something obviously much more disturbing about it. Nonetheless, we see Stroszek himself watching this with almost no expression on his face, and that helps us accept the scene. We may find it gross but we do not find it horrifying. The eye has not fully "tutored" yet.
The final scene is the one we finally find horrifying. Stroszek killing himself while repeated shots of dancing animals trapped in cages play before our eyes. The frenetic hillbilly music playing on the soundtrack helps make this sequence seem all the more grotesque. It is ironic however, that although what we see is much more cynical than what we saw at the beginning of the film, the tone is still one of surrealism and wonderment. The scene, although horrifying, is riveting. It's almost as if the eye although having lost its sense of seeing beauty in everything, still sees with a unique and perceptive viewpoint. The music clues us in to perhaps another reason why the "untutored eye" cannot stay that way forever. It falls under the influence of the other senses. One must remember that Stan Brakhage is the perfect person to make the statement that he did, because his films are completely silent. There is no need to rely on any other senses, physical or emotional, because they are non-narrative films. The ideas that Brakhage expresses are perfect for thinking about film, but Herzog proves that it does not work in reality because no matter how hard we try to imagine "the beginning of the world", it was simply too long ago for any of us to remember.