Forty-three Werner Herzog films that can be streamed

May 4, 2014 10:40 AM

Inside, please find a list of forty-three movies, TV episodes, and short subjects by Werner Herzog, all of which can be streamed, along with some short descriptions of their content. One or two of the films are in German without subtitles; this is noted in the description.

• Herakles (1962) - Herzog's first film (and "first blunder"), a short subject juxtaposing body builders and other scenes. It's only in German, but there's no dialogue.
• The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz (1967) - "A satire on the state of war and peace and the absurdities it inspires." A short film in which a group of men take over and defend a castle despite it being peacetime. Narration, but no dialogue. (Wikipedia)
• Last Words (1968) - A short film about the last man to leave the island of Spinaloa, after being forcibly removed. He now refuses to speak. (Wikipedia)
• Precautions Against Fanatics (1969) - A short mockumentary (or "elaborate on-camera practical joke") about horse racing. (Wikipedia)
• Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970) - A group of dwarfs on an island institution revolt against their dwarf overseers and the place descends into madness . "It has virtually no story-line ('dwarfs raise hell' probably exhausts the subject.)" (Wikipedia)
• Fata Morgana (1971) - A surreal, sci-fi film shot on a shoestring that consists of footage shot in the western sahara, mostly of mirages, music, and narration quoting the Popol Vuh. A positive review. A negative review. (Wikipedia)
• Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972) -"One of the great, haunting visions of the cinema." The film loosely follows the story the conquistador Lope de Aguirre as he descends into madness while hunting for El Dorado. The soundtrack is by Popol Vuh. (Wikipedia)
• The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner (1974) - A documentary about ski-jumper and woodcarver Walter Steiner. The soundtrack is by Popol Vuh. (Wikipedia)
• The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) - A biopic about the mysterious Kaspar Hauser, who appeared seemingly from nowhere and claimed to have been raised in a 2 x 1 x 1.5 meter cell. The film is the first of two films by Herzog Bruno S., a man with no prior acting experience but whom Herzog considered the best actor with whom he ever worked. Roger Ebert's review. (Wikipedia)
• How Much Wood would a Woodchuck chuck... (1976) - A documentary about the World Livestock Auctioneering Championship. (Wikipedia)
• Heart of Glass (1976) - The movie tells the story of a town of glass blowers that descends into madness after the secret of how to make ruby glass is lost. "In the story of the failure of a small glassblowing factory, [the film] sees the rise and collapse of the industrial revolution, the despair of communities depending on manufacture, the aimlessness of men and women without a sense of purpose." According to Herzog, "the entire cast acted under hypnosis." (Wikipedia)
• No One Will Play with Me (1976) - A short film, shot using pre-schoolers, about an outcast child. (Wikipedia)
• Stroszek (1977) - "Who else but Werner Herzog would make a film about a retarded ex-prisoner, a little old man and a prostitute, who leave Germany to begin a new life in a house trailer in Wisconsin?... "Stroszek" (1977) is one of the oddest films ever made. It is impossible for the audience to anticipate a single shot or development." Herzog wrote the film specifically for Bruno S.; it was their second and final collaboration. (Wikipedia)
• La Soufrière (1977) - A documentary about the inhabitants of Gaudeloupe who chose to remain on the island after its evacuation pending an erruption of La Grande Soufrière. (Wikipedia)
• Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - A remake of F.W. Murnau's 1922 film Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night. (Wikipedia)
• God's Angry Man (1981) - A documentary about Gene Scott (Wikipedia)
• Fitzcarraldo (1982) - Based on the life of rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrold, the movie tells the story of Brian Sweeney "Fitzcarraldo" Fitzgerald, who tries to get rich in the rubber trade by embarking on a mad quest that entails moving a boat over a mountain. "[It] is one of the great visions of the cinema, and one of the great follies." The production was plagued with difficulties, including replacing Jason Robards with Klaus Kinski for the lead role and eventually dropping Mick Jagger -originally slated to play Fitzcarraldo's assistant- because of production delays, but the result is considered a classic. (Wikipedia)
• Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984) - A documentary about child soldiers in Nicaragua. (Wikipedia)
• Portrait Werner Herzog (1986) - An autobiographical short film. (Wikipedia)
• Lohengrin at Beyreuth (1987) - Not actually a film; this is a production of Lohengrin, directed by Herzog and staged at Beyreuth. It was reviewed by the New York Times.
• Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun (1989) - A documentary about the Wodaabe of the Sahara. (Wikipedia)
• Echoes From A Somber Empire (1990) - A documentary that follows journalist Michael Goldsmith as he investigates Jean-Bédel Bokassa and his regime in the CAR. Janet Maslin's New York Times review. Note that the principal link, while subtitled is very low quality. For those who speak French and German, a higher quality version is here. (Wikipedia)
• Scream of Stone (1991) - A movie about a climbing expedition on Cerro Torre in Patagonia. (Wikipedia)
• Bells from the Deep (1993) - A documentary about mysticism in Russia and Siberia. As with many Herzog documentaries, the tone is decidedly poetic. In this case, however, the poetic elaboration may veer into deception, as noted by Pau Bosch Santos in his review. (Wikipedia)
• Death For Five Voices (1995) - A documentary about Carlo Gesualdo. (Wikipedia)
• 2000 Jahre Christentum (1999)
  1. Christ and Demons in New Spain - "A film about the conquest of Latin America by the Catholic Church and the consequences of it for today´s religious life in that region."

• Wings of Hope (2000) - A documentary about Julian Koepcke (Wikipedia)
• Pilgrimage (2001) - A documentary about religious pilgrims, that opens with a fake quote and has a soundtrack by John Tavener. (Wikipedia)
• Ten Thousand Years Older (2002) - Herzog's section of the two-part collection of short films Ten Minutes Older. (Wikipedia)
• Wheel of Time (2003) - A documentary about Tibetan Buddhism. (Wikipedia)
• The White Diamond (2004) - A documentary about aeronautic engineer Graham Dorrington (Wikipedia)
• Encounters at the End of the World (2007) - A documentary about the people and places of Antarctica, described by Roger Ebert as "a poem of oddness and beauty." (Wikipedia)
• La bohème (2009) - A short film of life in Ethiopia, juxtaposed with opera music. (Wikipedia)
• Happy People: A Year In The Taiga (2010) - A documentary about the villagers of Bakhtia, Siberia. (Wikipedia)
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) - A documentary about the Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, famous for cave paintings that are approximately 30,000 years old. (Wikipedia)
• Into The Abyss (2011) - A documentary about Michael Perry and Jason Burkett, two men convicted of three homicides in Texas. Perry is on death row, while Burkett has been sentenced to life. Each blames the other for the crimes. (Wikipedia)
• On Death Row (2012-2013)
  1. Conversation with James Barnes - An interview with James Barnes.
  2. Conversation with Joseph Garcia and George Rivas - An interview with two members of the Texas Seven.
  3. Conversations with Hank Skinner - An interview with Hank Skinner.
  -----
  1. Portrait: Robert Fratta - An interview with Robert Fratta.
  2. Portrait: Darlie Routier - An interview with Darlie Routier.
  3. Portrait: Blaine Milam - An interview with Blaine Milam.

• From One Second to the Next (2013) - A documentary about how four lives have been impacted by texting-related accidents.

Films I couldn't locate:

• Game in the Sand (1964)
• Signs of Life (1968)
• The Flying Doctors of East Africa (1970)
• Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
• Handicapped Future (1971)
• Woyzeck (1979)
• Huie's Sermon (1981)
• Where The Green Ants Dream (1984)
• Cobra Verde (1987)
• Les Fraçais vus Par (1988) -
  1. Les Gaulois

• Giovanni D'Arco (1989)
• Jag Mandir (1991)
• Film Lesson (1991-1992)
• (1992)
• The Transformation of the World into Music (1996)
• Little Dieter Needs To Fly (1997)
• Höllenfahrten (1998) -
  1. Flucht aus Laos

• My Best Fiend (1999)
• Invincible (2001)
• Grizzly Man (2005)
• The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)
• Rescue Dawn (2006)
• My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009)
• On Death Row (2012) -
  1. Conversation with Linda Carty
  -----
  1. Portrait: Douglas Feldman

posted by Going To Maine (63 comments total)

Yow! This is a very cruel post for final grading season.

I've always loved the way that Herzog could make Kinski appear across the entire spectrum from human to inhuman, often within the same shot. He just seems to understand the weird tipping point between the humane and the monstrous.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:56 AM on May 4, 2014 [5 favorites]

Nice post. Here's one you missed...

Couldn't find the whole thing but here's a taster.
posted by peterkins at 10:58 AM on May 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Brilliant post, thanks!

I love his documentary work. Out of the ones linked that I've seen, I think Cave of Forgotten Dreams is my favourite. His style is perfect for the feeling of unreality and near-mysticism of the shots of the caves, all flickering lights and slow pans across reverent faces. Really looking forward to working through these.
posted by billiebee at 10:59 AM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I am excited for the opportunity once again to link to the greatest mefi comment of all time featuring Werner Herzog.
posted by elizardbits at 11:02 AM on May 4, 2014 [12 favorites]

Expect an extra kitten in your pay envelope this month
posted by thelonius at 11:06 AM on May 4, 2014 [6 favorites]

What, no love for his narration in "Plastic Bag"?
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:07 AM on May 4, 2014 [3 favorites]

How Much Wood Would A Wood Chuck Chuck is so good y'all...
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 11:09 AM on May 4, 2014

A Kinski tantrum during the filming of Fitzcarraldo.

EDIT, can't vouch for its completeness but this may be My Best Fiend.
posted by epo at 11:45 AM on May 4, 2014 [3 favorites]

Wow. I'd hate to see what happens when Kinski learns that his XBox Live account has been banned.
posted by thelonius at 11:47 AM on May 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

Grizzly Man?
posted by epo at 11:50 AM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Grizzly Man yt ?

"This video is not available in your country"
posted by Going To Maine at 11:51 AM on May 4, 2014

I am excited for the opportunity once again to link to the greatest mefi comment of all time featuring Werner Herzog.

Ahem, surely you mean this one from Greg Nog is the greatest mefi comment of all time featuring Werner Herzog.
posted by Doktor Zed at 11:52 AM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Until this moment, I was unaware of the mighty need I had for this list. Thank you!
posted by C'est la D.C. at 11:59 AM on May 4, 2014

"This video is not available in your country"

OK in the UK.
posted by epo at 11:59 AM on May 4, 2014

I met Werner Herzog once, before I knew who he was. He was a clearly foreign man with dirty white sneakers who insisted on puzzling out the vending machine in our employee lounge. Why didn't he let the company releasing twelve of his films on DVD cater his lunch? I don't know.
posted by infinitewindow at 12:07 PM on May 4, 2014 [7 favorites]

"Is there such thing as insanity among penguins?" - clip from Encounters at the End of the World (2.5 minutes).

If you're only going to watch 2.5 minutes of Werner, I can absolutely recommend this... (warning: suicidal penguins).
posted by el io at 12:18 PM on May 4, 2014 [6 favorites]

The Werner Herzog Soundboard.
posted by monkeystronghold at 12:21 PM on May 4, 2014 [2 favorites]

I have Even Dwarfs Started Small on DVD.

I am not sure why there are people who do not.
posted by delfin at 12:35 PM on May 4, 2014 [3 favorites]

What a great find, and effort to present it! Thank you, "Going to Maine"!
posted by Vibrissae at 12:45 PM on May 4, 2014

What, no link to Werner Herzog as a GPS navigation voice?
posted by jadepearl at 12:52 PM on May 4, 2014 [6 favorites]

Great post, thanks.

I'll be streaming Even Dwarfs... Soon, but if you can, watch the DVD with the commentary track- by Herzog and Crispin Glover. It's amazing. They need to make a movie together.
posted by rock swoon has no past at 12:59 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

This scene from Aguirre has stuck in my head and my heart for years now. I don't know if I should thank Werzog & Kinski or curse them...
posted by jammy at 1:03 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

You are a good person.
posted by mudpuppie at 1:08 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is so wonderful, thank you.
posted by Corduroy at 1:18 PM on May 4, 2014

Ctr-F "Grand"

...

Still not streaming? Damn.

Werner Herzog as The German in The Grand.

Thanks for adding the film notes. I'm not sure I'd have the stamina to look everything up myself.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:21 PM on May 4, 2014

Speaking of Herzog, he has just wrapped up filming Queen of the Desert, a biopic about Gertrude Bell (who is always referred to as the "female Lawrence of Arabia").
posted by Corduroy at 1:49 PM on May 4, 2014

Oh, thank you! This post is a treasure chest!
posted by daisyk at 1:49 PM on May 4, 2014

He was a clearly foreign man with dirty white sneakers

How did he serve them?
posted by shakespeherian at 1:53 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

No, "The Dark Glow of the Mountains"?
posted by alex_skazat at 1:57 PM on May 4, 2014

The stream for Even Dwarves Started Small brought up an ad for "Date a Midget". The only time I've ever clicked a google ad and it seems dead.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:04 PM on May 4, 2014

No, "The Dark Glow of the Mountains"?

I couldn't find a version that had English subtitles.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:09 PM on May 4, 2014

Speaking of Herzog, he has just wrapped up filming Queen of the Desert, a biopic about Gertrude Bell

Good, because I needed to hear about her biography yesterday.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:18 PM on May 4, 2014

Let's not forget his masterful turn in the otherwise wretched Jack Reacher.
posted by chinston at 2:36 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

Your list is missing Lessons of Darkness (1992); there are parts of it on vimeo and elsewhere, but I can't seem to find a complete stream. It's an impressive, lyrical, depressing documentary about the aftermath of the Gulf war.

on preview: jinx, peterkins.
posted by progosk at 3:08 PM on May 4, 2014

Your list is missing Lessons of Darkness (1992); there are parts of it on vimeo and elsewhere, but I can't seem to find a complete stream. It's an impressive, lyrical, depressing documentary about the aftermath of the Gulf war.

Yes. I hunted around for it but didn't have any luck, & then must have let it slip off my list.
posted by Going To Maine at 3:16 PM on May 4, 2014

These lists are woefully lacking Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, which is precisely the sort of wonderful/awful/weird sequel that you'd hope Herzog would make.

Ah! Yes. I also hunted for it but failed to find anything, & must have let it slip as well.
posted by Going To Maine at 3:22 PM on May 4, 2014

Herzog directed Port of Call New Orleans? That movie was pretty great. Didn't the director of the original Bad Lieutenant get all pissy about it or something?

(Fake Werner Herzog also makes a great podcast guest).
posted by Redfield at 3:28 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I would very much appreciate it if someone could start a website that generates Werner Herzog film titles (in both English and German).
posted by Corduroy at 3:28 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

chinston: "Let's not forget his masterful turn in the otherwise wretched Jack Reacher."

I've done my best to try to forget that movie.
posted by octothorpe at 3:30 PM on May 4, 2014

Werner Herzog discovers that his old friend John Waters is gay.
posted by 445supermag at 3:38 PM on May 4, 2014 [4 favorites]

"The Dark Glow of the Mountains" maybe my favorite of Herzog's... Herzog and the equally insane / uncompromising Rheinhold Messner, together, naked in the mountains. What could be be better?
posted by ph00dz at 4:34 PM on May 4, 2014

Werner Herzog Maintains a Deep Fear of Chickens
posted by homunculus at 5:02 PM on May 4, 2014 [4 favorites]

From homunculus's link: "I would note: chickens are living manifestations of death, bred only to be domesticated and killed. When we look into their eyes, we see the part of ourselves of which we are most afraid – our ultimate destination. Death."

Wait. WAIT. It took 35 years for Werner Herzog to realize that John Waters is gay. But chickens? He stares into their beady eyes and immediately perceives the abyss.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:35 PM on May 4, 2014 [3 favorites]

Using the crude metric of favorites, it seems that MetaFilter definitively prefers Werner Herzog to Errol Morris.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:09 PM on May 4, 2014

"The Dark Glow of the Mountains" maybe my favorite of Herzog's... Herzog and the equally insane / uncompromising Rheinhold Messner, together, naked in the mountains. What could be be better?

What could make it better? How about Herzog having all of the cast hypnotized, and the fact that it worked for most of them during filming?
posted by mr. digits at 6:26 PM on May 4, 2014

I've seen enough of his documentaries that I've started to really love his voice. Tip-of-the-hat to the link for the Hertzog GPS navigation voice.

An aside: I imagine his son would have self-confidence problems.
posted by wormwood23 at 6:38 PM on May 4, 2014

La Soufrière has these scenes when the town is almost empty of human beings that are extremely poignant. It's worth watching just for that.
posted by graymouser at 6:43 PM on May 4, 2014

This is a significant playlist.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:43 PM on May 4, 2014

Grizzly Man yt ?

"This video is not available in your country"

Disallowed countries
AS - American Samoa
GU - Guam
MH - Marshall Islands
MP - Northern Mariana Islands
PR - Puerto Rico
UM - United States Minor Outlying Islands
US - United States
VI - United States Virgin Islands

According to Region Restriction Checker
posted by WhackyparseThis at 7:47 PM on May 4, 2014

Thanks so much for putting this together. It made my sunday evening a lot better, for some values of better.
posted by mrdaneri at 8:06 PM on May 4, 2014

Do be careful when watching Stroszek, though.
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 8:44 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I found the The Dark Glow of the Mountains on the tube.

FWIW, my absolute favourite is The Great Ecstacy of the Woodcarver Steiner. The brown fashion, the big microphone, and the hypnotising Aguirre IV by Popol Vuh... Wow.
posted by postagepaid at 10:44 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]

I found the The Dark Glow of the Mountains yt on the tube.

Alas, no! That is the first part of Portrait Werner Herzog. Unless maybe you copied the wrong link?
posted by Going To Maine at 4:59 AM on May 5, 2014

"He just carried on with the interview while bleeding quietly in his boxer shorts.” An unrepentant Herzog insisted, “It was not a significant bullet. I am not afraid.”
posted by andromache at 9:59 AM on May 5, 2014

I Fav'd this of course like everyone else but the links will die sooner than later so there is savefrom.net and a big old hard drive.
posted by stbalbach at 10:04 AM on May 5, 2014

Oh man, too bad you couldn't find Cobra Verde... love that movie.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:19 AM on May 5, 2014

Wow. I'd hate to see what happens when Kinski learns that his XBox Live account has been banned.

The tension builds pretty quickly in this classic Kinski interview.
posted by juiceCake at 11:54 AM on May 5, 2014

Actually, here is the greatest Werner Herzog comment made on Metafilter. By favorite count it beats the other two combined. Truly, the best of the Werner.
posted by Vindaloo at 5:19 PM on May 5, 2014

Oh, awesome post btw, thanks for the links!
posted by Vindaloo at 5:21 PM on May 5, 2014

Greetings from Open Culture! Metafilter Highlights a Trove of Werner Herzog Films Online.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:45 AM on May 6, 2014 [2 favorites]

I think the producer of this segment made a few poor camera choices at the end, but it's still pretty good: Stephen Colbert interviews Werner Herzog about Cave of Forgotten Dreams.
posted by Going To Maine at 5:19 AM on May 6, 2014

Films I couldn't locate:
The Wild Blue Yonder (2005)

You know, I got this through Netflix recently because the description sounded awesome and it stars Brad Dourif (my favorite X-Files villain). But it was quite experimental, and quite a bad experiment at that. I did appreciate the attempt, and the NASA footage was pretty mesmerizing. But it looked like he hired Brad Dourif to narrate outside of a building for a day, and threw music from his iPod into this assemblage of NASA footage from the 70s. They can't all be Stroszeks!
posted by inkytea at 8:05 AM on May 6, 2014

1982 episode (yt) of UK's The South Bank Show showing Herzog on a European road trip (I think, not watched it yet).
posted by epo at 7:32 AM on May 12, 2014 [1 favorite]