MovieChat Forums > Woyzeck (1979) Discussion > IMO the fly made the murder scene more t...

IMO the fly made the murder scene more terrifying.

posted 16 years ago by PyroBurns
3 replies | jump to latest

Remember the big ass fly that zooms past the camera in slow motion during the murder scene? At first I found it kind of amusing that a goofy bug ruined a perfectly good shot like that going about it's daily business.

But then before it reached the end of the frame, my mood changed and it felt waaay more "raw" than if the bug hadn't been there.

Now the scene felt like you were actually outside watching in terror as this crazed man went berserk and it really moved me. The fly actually added to it, in multiple ways (other ways just cannot be described). If it hadn't been there, I don't think I would have had been as immersed into the scene. Good on you, bug.

Anyone agree? Did anyone else even notice the fly?

Me and my Spider: http://www.grayhawknaturecenter.org/girlholdingspiderlg.jpg

[–] rutkins 16 years ago

Yeah, I found myself watching the fly quite a bit, probably because it was so uncomfortable watching the raw power of Kinski in that scene.

[–] Craytonus_AP 15 years ago

I remember when I saw that scene recalling Woyzeck's speaking of Marie and the drum major and likening them to the "flys on the back of his hand" as a way to show their sin, it seemed symbolic that the moment he kills her, he himself is now "dirty" as the fly comes to him.

"Life's like a Dick; when it get's hard, it takes you quail hunting and shoots you in the back."

[–] rooprect 14 years ago

There are 2 'goofs' in that scene which make it all the more haunting. One is the fly, like you said. It's distracting. But it's soooo distracting that it actually becomes part of the story. We can't credit Herzog with that stroke of genius. Credit where credit is due: flies rock.

And the 2nd goof is when Kinski stabs her. Due to the slow motion, you can plainly see that the sharp edge of the knife is turned away from her; it's all done in pantomime. But then you look at the intensity of Kinski's face and the way he's staring blankly ahead, and you realize, wow, Kinski (the actor) is in some kind of weird trance. He's not just miming a murder. He actually believes he is killing a woman. It's almost like we're watching from backstage, seeing the props & tricks, yet the performance is so real the props are meaningless.

Once again, it's total serendipity. We can't credit Herzog with the brilliance of that scene; it just all came together.