Woyzeck is probably the most obscure of the celebrated Werner Herzog / Klaus Kinski collaborations. It's certainly the most low-key of the five films. While Kinski is probably at his least deranged, although this is of course very relative. In it he plays a psychologically troubled soldier called Woyzeck who is victimised from all angles. His captain and doctor continually torment him, while his wife has an affair behind his back with a macho drum major. All of this contributes to Woyzeck's ultimate descent into violent madness.
The film is quite theatrical with most scenes consisting of single unbroken takes that last for several minutes at a time with no edits. This ensures that the pace remains slow but the dramatic intensity is increased. It enables both Kinski and Eva Mattes especially to flex their acting muscles in some scenes of high emotion. To compliment this Herzog captures the picturesque town and countryside beautifully to offset the intense human dramas. While the atonal music maintains the atmosphere of discomfort. Probably not the most accessible of movies overall to be fair. Nevertheless, Woyzeck is yet another impressive Herzog/Kinski collaboration and should offer something interesting to fans of either of these two men.
The film is quite theatrical with most scenes consisting of single unbroken takes that last for several minutes at a time with no edits. This ensures that the pace remains slow but the dramatic intensity is increased. It enables both Kinski and Eva Mattes especially to flex their acting muscles in some scenes of high emotion. To compliment this Herzog captures the picturesque town and countryside beautifully to offset the intense human dramas. While the atonal music maintains the atmosphere of discomfort. Probably not the most accessible of movies overall to be fair. Nevertheless, Woyzeck is yet another impressive Herzog/Kinski collaboration and should offer something interesting to fans of either of these two men.