I can't explain it. A collection of images that had no relevance to each
other, the plane landing for fifteen minutes all tied up to mayan text, I'm sorry but this should certainly not be a film I enjoy. Maybe I can't see past the fact that it's by Herzog (Although that aint likely as I saw straight through invincible as just dire.) What is it that makes me watch this film again and again?
That's the beauty of it, it all kind of hangs together in a magical, mysterious way.
George Washington was in a cult, and the cult was into aliens, man. (Dazed and Confused)
Yep, one I also feel compelled to watch over and over.
shareI don't know why you guys liked this. I certainly didn't. A collection of some beautiful images of the desert, a handful of mirages, and a tolerably lively lizard does not begin to make up for the badly chosen music, irrelevant narration, pointless pointing by a few human beings, drive-by imagery of stuff like wire fences and storage units, and the downright silly interpolation of the percussionist and pianist. Its 74 minutes could easily be cut to half the length with no loss of anything valuable. Seriously tedious.
In fact, it was every bit as bad as "Lessons of Darkness" was great. "Fata Morgana" is probably the worst Herzog I've seen--and I'm a big fan who's seen many, including "Invincible."
I feel the exact same way, not only about this film...but about Heart of Glass as well. Both of those films (along with Aguirre and Even Dwarfs Started Small) rank at the very top of Herzog's filmography for me.
I do think these films are saying something, it's just that both depend very heavily on the viewer to impart meaning...maybe that is the reason I love them so much.
One thing is for certain, anyone who appreciates Herzog's flair for landscapes MUST see both Heart of Glass and Fata Morgana...they are truly idiosyncratic works that haven't been bettered by any other filmmaker. I don't think they ever will be.
What makes me like this film and many other similar ones is that they are very easy to watch. Theres no deep point into them, no need to think deep, i just enjoy the images combined with sounds.
People get annoyed by films like this because it is a very simple one, they want a deeper meaning to fascinate them, people who are in a rush to feel 'happy' or more 'complete' after watching a film.
People who can relax and enjoy images will love this movie.
Chill out and enjoy.
I beg to differ. While they may be easy to watch, more focused watching can be richly rewarding. The key to this movie is that any meaning you find in watching it is meaning that came from you. Herzog provides enough structure to hold your attention for easy watching, but Fata Morgana can be so much more than that.
shareHerzog is a master at a kind of very poetic, zen-dadaist absurdism. He seems naturally infused with it--I think it's apparent when you listen to him speak, too. I can easily understand folks liking that. I love it myself.
I can also easily understand some folks not liking it. I think you have to have a bit of that disposition yourself to appreciate it, and not everyone does. If you watch most of his films expecting them to be like "normal" films, to fit neatly into genres, etc., you'll be frustrated instead. But that wouldn't be very zen--to try to force them into some kind of preconceived mold.
http://www.rateyourmusic.com/~JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies
exactly the same question that baffled me--why was i never bored when watching this? something strangely hypnotic about this one; never knew something so minimalist could keep me involved.
share