Review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) by Zaw M — 05 Jun 2016

"Encounters at the End of the World" the title of the film by Werner Herzog may seem to elude to a film about the documentation of different animals lets say "fluffy penguins" and how they survive at the bottom of the world, which is Antarctica. However, Herzog makes it very clear at the start of his film in that it would not go in that direction when he states, "The National Science Foundation had invited me to Antarctica even though I left no doubt that I would not come up with another film about penguins.".

Instead, Herzog's documentary takes on a much more profound meaning, which is subtly portrayed throughout the film. To someone not really taking in the entirety of the film it may come off as a sort of scavenger hunt around Antarctica. He visits different people around McMurdo station such as a welder who claims to be descended from royalty and asks why they came down to the bottom of the world. Later on venturing further away from the station to see what some of the researchers were studying down in Antarctica, which does include studying penguins. From scuba diving under the ice and learning about the incredibley small, but yet terrifying creatures that call that world home, to watching out for falling lava from above as he learns about what researchers are doing studying an active volcano at the bottom of the world. The film however, is more about the philosophical ideas of why people come to Antarctica and is paralleled by commentary on why say; a penguin walks to its certain death. Also, how a frozen fish becomes all that will be remember of humanity. In its entirety the film becomes a work of art that is elegantly stung together to portray a deeper meaning to those who take a second think about what is being said.

While easy to overlook the ideas of why people come to a place that many would consider where you go if you want to die are quite evident. A construction worker that works at McMurdo by the name of Stefan Pashov provides much of the philosophical ideas for the film stating toward the beginning, "Antarctica works as a place of naturel selection for people who have the intention to jump off the margin of the map. We all meet here where all line of the map converge." The quote starts the commentary as to why people come to the end of the world and is carried on throughout the film. Later on when asking a penguin researcher as to, "Is there such thing as insanity in a penguin?", at which point the researches points out how rarely a penguin will just walk into the center of the continent. The penguin just leaves everything that its species needs to survive, which is the ocean, other penguins, and food. The seemingly irrelevant melancholy point brought up by this penguin in my opinion parallels much of the focus of this film, which is why people end up in Antarctica. A very evident parallel to the penguin example is when Herzog discovers William Jirsa, a linguist on a continent with no languages, working at a greenhouse at McMurdo station. The similarities between the people of McMurdo and the penguin are quite evident. While humans have adapted to survive in Antarctica and will not surely die, as the penguin will, it is the idea as to why turn your back on everything in your life and head to a place where unless you are a scientist don't need to be that is evident throughout the film.

In typical Herzog fashion he manages to make even the most somber moments of his film almost funny. Deep in the tunnels under McMurdo station lies a shrine in which different mementos are left behind of the human race, which includes a frozen sturgeon. For many the scene can be just brushed off as comedy. However, the scene comes as a climax of realization that humanity has built to fast and the earth cannot sustain its environmental weight. While not being as obvious as other environmental films Herzog does touch on the effects of mans conquest of earth and in a more optimistic take on humanity's end asks. Will another civilization come and find this shrine and what will they think?

After watching the film, the title "Encounters at the End of the World" takes on a very new meaning. Not only does it hold significance with literal encounters with people at the bottom of our world, but also more profoundly how it is a journey into mans oblivion. In all, the film brilliantly hits these points by not devoting a whole segment of the film to the, but lightly commenting on them throughout the film. Also in an amazing job by Herzog he does not let the film become to dark, by always taking a optimistic view on the end of times. In a quote by Alan Watts, which ends then film, "Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence." The quote really gives the films darker points a positive spin.