On Disc -- Herzog: The Collection, Vol 2

While not as impactful as its predecessor, the second volume of Werner Herzog's films show the curiosity and lengths he has gone to capture everyday life, people and faces that fascinate him.

When an artist creates their first piece, the time create that piece is whole lifetime. Not just the time the artist officially sat down/stood up/etc. and physically started to create. The timeline on their follow-up is a considerably shorter amount of time.

In 2014, Shout Factory released "Herzog: The Collection", a 13 disc collection of 16 of Herzog's films plus several commentaries and documentaries. "Vol. 1" included Herzog's Greatest Hits, including "Aguirre, The Wrath of God," "Fitzcarraldo," "Nosferatu the Vampire," "Stroszek," "Woyzeck" and  "My Best Fiend." It is one of the greatest film box sets ever released.

"Vol. 2" features 11 films (ranging from 1968-2005) on five discs. While none of the films in volume two come to the caliber of the titles from volume one, they still show the curiosity and lengths Herzog has gone to capture everyday life, people and faces that fascinate him and hopefully you. The results are a little mixed.

The films...

"Signs of Life" (1968) -- Herzog's feature film debut. Three German soldiers during World War II are assigned to a small coast town in Greece while one of the soldiers recovers from an injury. The new detail and the lack of action that comes with it drive the soldiers to madness, a recurring theme in Herzog's films ("Aguirre, the Wrath of God," "Fitzcarraldo," "Grizzley Man"). One of the soldiers is named Stroszek but is not the same character later played by Klaus Kinski in the 1977 film of the same name. 

"The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner" (1974) -- Follows Walter Steiner, a professional ski jumper wanting to break the world record for ski flying and the consequences that come with that goal. At times, the film feels like an extended "Agony of Defeat" portion of the title sequence from ABC's "Wide World of Sports." Adding to the "Wide World of Sports" feel is seeing Herzog on camera, at the bottom of the mountain providing commentary. The film picks up on Herzog's commitment to beautiful photography with ambient mood music. Only 46 minutes.

"How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck" (1976) -- Thankfully only a 47-minute peek inside a world livestock auction competition.  Herzog makes an attempt to showcase the speed and rhythm of the auctioneers and turn it into a hypnotic event. With Herzog's film, the more you let it wash over you, the better. I didn't wind up smelling colors and seeing sound, but you might.

"La Soufriere" (1977) — A half-hour look at the aftermath of a volcano eruption in Guadalupe in 1976. Herzog and his two-person camera crew roam through the dead silence of the village. The only sounds come from roaming animals and there was one peasant who refused to be evacuated. The first film Herzog delivers his signature voice over skills in English.

"God's Angry Man" (1981) -- Profiling Dr. Gene Scott, a successful L.A. televangelist. Herzog captures him in the back of a limo discussing his life and career, his side business of a publishing company and a mausoleum. One of the televised "highlights" is Scott remaining silent on live television until a thousand pledge calls came in. I've always admired Herzog's ability to travel anywhere on the planet and cover any subject with his own fascination. All due respect, Werner, f-this guy.

"Huie's Sermon" (1981) — A slightly better look at a different house of worship, this time an African-American church in Brooklyn. Thirty of the 42 minutes in this documentary is a lone sermon by Huie Rogers mixed in with footage of dilapidated buildings in the neighborhood. There's also footage of a healing line during service and a baptism. A baptism? Sure. I've always been skeptical of church healings, but still more effective than anything in "God's Angry Man." Did I mention f-that guy?

"The Dark Glow of the Mountains" (1985)- - Made for German television, two mountain climbers attempting to climb both Gasherbrum peaks (located in Kashmir) in a row without returning to base camp in between. There's no Herzog voice over and the dubbing sounds like the old badly-dubbed kung-fu films. There's only so much travel Herzog's crew will take on this one.

"Herdsmen of the Sun" (1989) — Peeking into the Wodaabe tribe, located south of the Sahara Desert, post-draught. We see an arranged wedding ceremony plus wife's duties and possessions. There's even a competition among the men with a potential wife as a prize. Lots of Herzog's camera scanning across local faces and the local music to accompany the shots.

"Echoes From a Somber Empire" (1990) -- After seven documentaries clocking in at under an hour, Herzog returns to a full-length film (90 minutes) about journalist Michael Goldsmith returning to the Central African Republic where he was tortured and accused of being a spy by the government and it's then-president Jean-Bedel Bokassa (seen in archive footage). Herzog would also cover this subject matter (returning to the scene of the human rights crime) in the 1997 documentary "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" and its feature-film counterpart (2006 "Rescue Dawn").  Back to "Somber," the most unforgettable moment happens when Goldsmith has a sit-down meeting with one of Bokassa's daughters.

"Wheel of Time" (2003) — Another excellent full-length, this time peeking into the world of Tibetan Buddhism. We see two Kalachakra initiations from 2002, led by the 14th Dalai Lama (Yes, the DL gets a "Special Appearance..." credit). In between interviews with DL and monks debating about Buddha’s teachings, monks are creating a sand mandala aka unbelievable sand art. The first time I saw this film, I had no idea what was to happen to the mandala so when it does (spoiler alert) get brushed away and sent into the river, I gasped.

"The Wild Blue Yonder" (2005) — Our final (full-length) film of the collection, this one combining excellent footage of space travel (courtesy of NASA) along with narration by an extraterrestrial (played by Brad Dourif). The footage is, of course, impressive. While I've always liked Dourif as an actor, his performance here is less like a Herzog-mouthpiece and more like the guy next to you at the bar who won't shut up about the CIA, Roswell and astronauts who returned after 800 years of travel. Check, please.

There are no masterpieces in "Vol. 2," but is still a must-have for serious Herzog fans or even those who haven't traveled in the last few years due to COVID. Herzog is one of those filmmakers that even the missteps have some merit. Except Dr. Scott (the person, not the film). Eff that guy.

Matthew Socey is host of the podcast Film Soceyology for WFYI 90.1 FM in Indianapolis