Review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) by Nostradamus X — 03 Feb 2010

If anyone knows me, they know I love a good documentary. Hell, sometimes I love crappy documentaries also. fortunately for me I saw past the dreary landscape on the cover of this title to the substance within. Its kind of like not judging a book by its cover, only there's none of that annoying reading crap. This film has drastically changed my view of Werner Hertzog. Previously I have just thought about this man as some sort of sick perverse person for making Grizzly Man and torturing all those people in the jungle by making them drag that damn boat over a mountain. Turns out he really does care about understanding the inner workings of humanity and doesn't just want to eat a shoe in public.

This film hit home for me at the current moment because of how many friends I've had leave the safehaven of Louisville, KY to explore the globe. These people all have similar views on life and what a person needs out of it. To quote my roommate's No Limit's t-shirt (not the rap group), "If your not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space" (im sure beneath that there was an iguana slashing a volleyball or something). This phrase holds true for the wandering travelers who have found themselves at the end of the world.

Each individual in this movie has a unique story and perspective on why and how they ended up at the South Pole. This film also features some unexpected scene's of natural wonder. One scene that stuck with me in particular was the refracting noises of seals under water creating unearthly pink floyd-ish noises.

The most dramatic scene for me nearly drew tears as one penguin makes its way to certain death across the icy landscape. Not because I give a crap about the life of that penguin, but because it perfectly paralleled the urges of my friends to reject society in search of some other truth. It was almost too perfect.

Watch this movie, and open your dome piece.