Review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) by Remote G — 31 Jan 2011

By Lauren Witts for remotegoat on 08/07/09.

In this documentary, Werner Herzog takes us on an extraordinary journey covering his five-month visit to the Antarctic and the community of the McMurdo Station. Home to around a thousand people, during the austral summer, McMurdo is the headquarters of the National Science Foundation. As Herzog discovers the town is as unsightly, as the landscape that surrounds it is stunning.

Along with a philosopher turned truck-driver and a man claiming to be a direct descendent of the Mayan and Aztec royal families, Herzog meets various scientific experts. These include volcanologists, ecologists, glaciologists and marine biologists, who are all as intellectually remarkable as they are quirky and at times, camera shy.

Herzog seems to strive to understand more than just the apparent reasons, which bring this unusual bunch to this remote location. This film is both timely, in relation to climate change, and morally unimposing. It is not made to promote green ethics, though this subject does not escape mention. Instead Herzog appears to let McMurdo's residents speak for themselves and the real focus that sustains throughout, is his curiosity towards the motivations and the pasts of the people stationed there.

Although he admits it is unusual, Herzog explains that Encounters 'found its shape in post-production'. This was evident throughout, though not fatal. The pace of the film allowed for contemplation and the extended musical sequences, with some truly stunning cinematography, provided an almost meditative tone.

Moments in the film invited humour, as Herzog asked one Scientist if he had seen any evidence of insanity in the penguins that he observed. Sure enough the camera captured one penguin breaking away from the group and making a dash for the mountains.

During a compulsory survival techniques workshop, the tutor placed a white bucket (each with a face drawn in marker pen on the side) onto the heads of his pupils to simulate a whiteout scenario. Then in full Antarctic gear, with buckets on their heads, he instructed them in a series of simple tasks, which needless to say became very difficult. The process was absurd and utterly hilarious to watch.

Be prepared to laugh, to be intrigued and to be moved by the stories of these people, in unexpected places. Bizarre and beguiling, this film is certainly worth watching, as an insight into a place about as far from the ordinary as one can get.