I really do want Werner Herzog to narrate my life.
With his monotone, accented voice describing metaphors and philosophical ideas about life on Antarctica, Encounters cuts back and forth between glorious, magical imagery below the ice & in caves or fumaroles, and the more prosaic lives of the scientists and maintenance crews who live above in McMurdo, a US National Science Foundation base town, operated by defense contracters. He often cuts people's stories down by stepping in and saying, "This story goes on forever." He then summarizes and ponders some tangential thought projected off into philosophical space by the interviewee.
Yet these individuals provide an interesting medium for exploring human idiosyncrasies, one of Herzog's favorite topics.
Several people explain their theory that those who are not tied down to the earth, tend to fall down to the bottom. One fascinating interview is with a linguist on a continent with no languages. A compulsive traveler who possesses an odd carnival-esque skill of folding herself up into a piece of carry-on luggage.
Overall, Werner comes to Antarctica to pursue the question of why humans push our boundaries and how that makes us different from other species. He also mourns our marks upon the otherwise pristine face of nature.
In a marvelous tangent, we go to meet Ashrita Furman who holds the world record for
crossing continents by pogo stick, summersaulting, walking with a bottle on his head... Why do we have to push the limits? Why do we want to distinguish ourselves in such a manner? In the commentary, Werner makes a hilarious and brilliant statement about this Furman guy: "There's something not right about it. It's a disease of civilization. ...Why don't we leave Mount Everest alone with its dignity. We do not need to be up there. The strange thing is all people of nature who live there, Sherpas, never climb these mountains. They would have certain reverence and they would keep the sacredness of the mountain in tact." A disease of civilization to push the limits to unhealthy, purposeless degrees. Hmm... That certainly puts a damper on the risk-taking philosophy of the US in the 80s. Hmm...
Why do these eccentric people end up here?
Through an interview with a penguin expert, we learn that female penguins may hook up with a male, let him "copulate" and then walk off with rocks from his nest for her own. And then we see a tragic penguin who wanders off into the center of the continent to die. Even if one were to drag him back, the penguin would immediately head back for the interior. It breaks my heart. I want to grab him and shout, "No! It's 50 km with no water and no fish! There's still swimming for you and delicious fish."
Suicidal penguins? Explorers? Disoriented or crazy? Hmmm... an interesting parallel for those we meet on the continent. In the commentary, Werner posits that disorientation may be an indication of insanity in animals.
These people are kinda nuts for living in such a dangerous place. Everyone has to learn how to survive in a white out, how to build an igloo to survive on the ice. Upon visiting a vulcanologist studying one of two open volcanoes in the world, Werner is warned to not turn his back on the crater, rather if a lava bomb were projected into the sky, he should look up at it and step out of its way as it comes back to earth. And apparently 30 years ago a team tried to climb down into the crater and towards the open magma lake. What?! Where were their mothers? I know mine would never forgive me so it must have been a team of orphans. Nutso. Of course there was an explosion of magma and the lead climber was injured.
Climate change is discussed, but in a doomsday perspective. Everyone seems to believe that we are on the precipice of going the way of the dinosaurs.
As markings of our presence for future earthlings, there is a tunnel to the mathematically precise south pole where several trinkets are stored including a frozen sturgeon, a photo of a green and blue lake, images of flowers, bad poetry and a wreath of popcorn. what? We are obviously doomed.
It is beautiful when away from the human settlements: an alien, majesty pervades the scenes, accompanied by choral music. The earth is extraordinary. Nature is remarkable. As one who lived nearly all of her life in urban areas, I've recently become aware of this and thanks to the national parks I've learned that we have gone too far. Why, why why must we possess everything? We'll all have to agree to have less for our sake and for the earth.
In the commentary, Werner says explicitly why I love his films. He says that through filmming, he fell in love with the world. In the earlier parts of his career, he explored the hideous internals of the human character, and now he seems to explore the grandeur of nature and the marvelous absurdity of humanity. I hope that in my films it will come across that I make films because I love exploring the world.
