means of procreation. Despite an absence of tex- tual evidence, he construes the film to be an indict- ment of sexual repression, not homosexuality itself, an interpretation that ignores the far more subver- sive reading inherent to a recognition of the film’s gay subtext: specifically, that the drive for procre- ation, in and of itself, is an act of narcissistic folly destined to produce offspring who will be rejected as monstrous disappointments by their fathers. Ironically, SUBVERSIVE HORROR leaves one with the impression that horror—though reasonably well- suited to sexual, psychological, philosophical and aesthetic subversion—is decidedly not a particularly effective vehicle for subversive political discourse, especially when one considers how little impact any of the films had on the issues they profess to ad- dress. Horror, thus, should not be considered the weapon of choice for the political gadfly. Comedy, with its broad appeal and tendency to disarm rather than repulse, holds that distinction.
WERNER HERZOG INTERVIEWS Edited by Eric Ames
2014, University Press of Mississippi Conversations with Filmmakers Series
www.upress.state.ms.us 193 pp., Hardcover, $45.00 Reviewed by John-Paul Checkett
University professor Eric Ames’ 2012 book FE- ROCIOUS REALITY argued for Werner Herzog’s in-
clusion in the canon of great documentary filmmakers, a status he has yet to be accorded due to the director’s unconventional methods and pro- fessed ambivalence toward the form itself. Accord- ing to Ames, the cornerstone to Herzog’s approach to documentary cinema is the prioritization of per- formance over observation as a means of appre- hending “ecstatic truth,” as opposed to the mere “surface truths” of cinéma vérité. Herzog’s docu- mentaries are thus said to reflect a “post-secular” perspective that asserts the existence of truths that cannot be ascertained through rational thought or scientific evidence.
In this valuable follow-up, consisting of six de- cades worth of interviews—some previously unpub- lished and others appearing in English for the first time—Ames makes it clear that Herzog has repeat- edly employed the promotional interview as yet an- other type of performance, designed not only to call attention to his films and establish a framework for their reception, but also as a form of autobiogra- phy. As Ames remarks in his introduction, Herzog is, above all, a master storyteller, and his interviews,
public appearances, and DVD commentaries reveal a tendency to repeat the same stories time and again, refining them in the retelling. These autobio- graphical anecdotes are offered not only in the ser- vice of entertainment and enlightenment, but also as a means of carefully and intentionally shaping and refining his public persona. For example, it is important to note how Herzog repeatedly presents himself as a cautious individual, respectful of his cast and crew and averse to any form of risk-tak- ing. Although he rarely refers to his critics directly, these assertions clearly serve as both proactive and reactive defenses against accusations of exploiting both his actors and documentary subjects, as well as contributing to the deaths of crew members dur- ing the filming of AGUIRRE and FITZCARRALDO through callousness or recklessness. Read in tandem with Ames’ previous book, IN-
TERVIEWS provides valuable insight into Herzog’s preoccupations with individuals under extreme pres- sure, his use of landscape as a means of depicting psychological conditions and metaphysical concerns, and his determination to reach a wide audience and provoke spontaneous emotional responses among his viewers. One frustrating aspect of the book, however, is the repeated willingness of interviewers to accept Herzog’s defense of misleading and fabri- cated material at face value, without questioning either the larger ethical implications or unintended consequences. For example, when Herzog reveals how he invented and scripted a scene in which docu- mentary subject and war prisoner Dieter Dengler revels in his freedom by repeatedly opening and clos- ing doors, no one questions the narcissism inher- ent in Herzog’s belief that he is privy to truths about captivity and freedom denied to the man who actu- ally survived the ordeal. Furthermore, no one seems to consider how audiences, anticipating being mis- led by Herzog, might enter into his films more emo- tionally guarded and thus more resistant to the empathic and emotional truths he hopes to convey. It must be said, though, that in a subtle way, Ames’ two books, when taken as a whole, actually address this issue. Reading though the interviews in light of the previous book, readers are first struck by how frequently Herzog seems to support Ames’ assertions, and then forced to recall how Ames him- self selected the interviews from the more than 800 that span Herzog’s career. Selection is, of course, a form of manipulation, though not necessarily a dis- honest one, and readers cannot help but agree that this manipulation of documentary material here re- veals important and valuable truths about a sub- ject who must be regarded as one of the most important figures in film history.
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