Director: Werner Herzog
Producer: Henry Kaiser
MPAA Rating: G
Running time: 99 min

By all accounts, director Werner Herzog was invited to Antarctica to shoot a documentary but imagine for a moment a pitch meeting with Herzog at one end of a long boardroom table and a row of men in black suits at the other. In his distinctive German accented English he says “For my next movie, I want to go to the end of the world. I want to go to Antarctica.” The suits think about it for a moment and then a light bulb goes on in one executive’s head and you can almost read his thoughts by the expression on his face: Eccentric film maker + gorgeous locale + weird “locals” = awesomeness.

Nature documentaries are not typically my cup of tea. I am as fascinated as a 10 year old by the way ant colonies work or how anything survives in the middle of the desert but typically these types of, often made for TV or IMAX, specials leave me wanting for more. I’m curious about humanity’s role in all of this. Are we simply here to eventually destroy the planet? Will the impending doom scientists keep talking about ever be so close to home that we will, as a race, make a change? Then there is the question of exploration. For millennia humanity has explored this earth but with nearly every surface of the planet already charted, what is left to explore? With all of our concern with what’s “out there”, we seem to have overlooked the fact that part of this world, a world deep under water and soil, remains uncharted. While I am fascinated by the great mystery of what we don’t know, Herzog is attracted to the people who search for the answers to those mysteries.

Herzog’s trip to Antarctica is not simply an exploration of the environment. As suggested by the title Encounters at the End of the World, Herzog’s film is largely about the people he encounters at this corner of the planet where daylight shines for 24 hours for five months out of the ear. There are no theaters, no malls and no “cars” at McMurdo Base. In a continent renowned for its pristine beauty and desolation, the largest collection of humans has carved out a little existence. It is amazing that the one place humans commune is also the ugliest; what does this say about humanity? This place you can only travel to for a limited part of the year is home to all types of folks, mostly odd ones with a passion for travel and discovery. In some instances, one gets the sense that this is where people come to get away from the rest of humanity. It would be interesting to see a census of those at McMurdo – I bet it would prove to be the best educated population on the planet.

Herzog peppers some of these people’s stories throughout the film, stories of who they are and what drew them to the so called “end of the world” but as interesting, and often long winded, as they are, Herzog feels the need to get out and head into more remote locations, away from even the minute bustle of McMurdo and it is at these places, even further removed from humanity, that we see the true beauty of Antarctica. Herzog and long time cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger capture the immense beauty of this desolate corner of the planet but we are quickly reminded that it is not so empty. Among the tonnage of ice and water there are millions, if not billions, of creatures eking out an existence. It is also at these places that we are treated to some of the most amazing footage I have ever seen and set to Gregorian Chants, there is a sense that these are the cathedrals of the world and that nature is both the architect and the creator.

Encounters at the End of the World is part nature film and part human study. While some, myself included, will find the stories of the wanderers interesting, others might find them irksome and slow moving. What is difficult, if not impossible to dispute, is that Herzog also captures the majesty and magnificence of the environment and it is something to behold, preferably on the big screen.

Herzog is an interesting guide; one I would follow almost anywhere. My suggestion for the next voyage: a trip to the magnificent desolation of the moon. I can only imagine what his inquisitive nature would lead him to discover there.

Links:
IMDb profile
Official Site
Flixster Profile for Encounters at the End of the World