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Given Herzog’s own pronouncement that ‘film is not the art of scholars, but of illiterates,’ it is not surprising that his work has aroused ambivalent and contradictory responses. Visually and philosophically ambitious and at the same time provocatively eccentric, Herzog’s films have been greeted equally by extreme adulation and extreme condemnation. Even as Herzog’s rebellious images have gained him a reputation as a master of the German New Wave, he has been attacked for indulging in a romantic naiveté and wilful self-absorption. To his hardest critics, Herzog’s films appear as little more than Hollywood fantasies disguised as high seriousness. This book is an attempt to illuminate these contradictions. It gathers essays that focus from a variety of angles on Herzog and his work. The contributors move beyond the myths of Herzog to investigate the merits of his work and its place in film history. A challenging range of films is covered, from Fata Morgana and Aguirre, the Wrath of God to more recent features such as Nosferatu and Where the Green Ants Dream, offering the reader ways of understanding why, whatever the controversies surrounding Herzog and his films, he remains a major and popular international filmmaker. Orignally published in 1986.
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ROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS: CINEMA Volume 8 THE FILMS OF WERNER HERZOG This page intentionally left blank: THE FILMS OF WERNER HERZOG Between Mirage and History Edited by TIMOTHY CORRIGAN Routledge Taylor & Francisg Group LONDON AND NEW YORK First published in 1986 This edition first published in 2014 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 1986 the collection as a whole, Methuen & Co. Ltd and Methuen, Inc.; Individual chapters, the respective authors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-415-83865-8 (Set) eISBN: 978-1-315-85201-0 (Set) ISBN: 978-0-415-72678-8 (Volume 8) eISBN: 978-1-315-85586-8 (Volume 8) Publisher’s Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this book but points out that some imperfections from the original may be apparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and would welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace. The Films of Werner Herzog Between Mirage and History Edited by Timothy Corrigan METHUEN New York and London First publishedin 1986 by Methuen,Inc. 29 West 35th Street,New York NY 10001 Publishedin Great Britain by Methuen& Co. Ltd 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P4EE The collection as a whole © 1986 Methuen& Co. Ltd and Methuen,Inc. Individual chapters© 1986 the respectiveauthors Printed in the USA All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reprintedor reproducedor utilized in any form or by any electronic,mechanicalor other means,now known or hereafterinvented,including photocopyingand recording,or in any information storageor retrieval system,without permissionin writing from the publishers. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data