Review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) by Marcus W — 04 Dec 2009

I swear Herzog could turn a camera on a brick wall for nine hours and still produce a fascinating documentary. Here he heads to the South Pole and does his usual trick of examining every single thing. He doesn't take the easy, Oscar-baiting route and bleat on about climate-change and penguins - though both do get a mention (the "deranged" penguin bit is really sad), instead he's like a child in constant awe, letting the camera linger, interviewing the people he finds there and watching the bizarre alien-like creatures beneath the ice.

It's a brilliant documentary even if you hate ice and the very sight of it makes you sick - such is the greatness of Herzog.