Review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) by Justin M — 05 Sep 2008
Encapsulates all the harmony, mystery, and wonder of the cosmos in an hour-and-a-half documentary. To describe the production, story, or technical aspects is to miss the point entirely.
When you look at the images, you become an egoless wanderer among a great puzzle. Herzog is not a romanticist; no, he depicts a largely fatalistic outlook on reality as sound & fury, fornication & growth, existence as survival, all culminating towards an inevitable end.
His eccentric perspective has driven him to rehash such themes over and over again throughout his work. This film is one of his most exceptional ones, as it is a brilliant and concise envisioning of Herzog's personal quest for ecstatic truth.
One of the more sublime moments comes when we see a deranged penguin shuffling alone towards the interior of the antarctic towards a certain death. The penguin's somber march mirrors the lives of Anarctica's quirky explorers, and is a symbol eluding to the ultimate destiny of mankind. Despite the grave pessimism, Encounters at the End of the World should not be interpreted as merely a depressing tale, because it is also one of strength in the face of adversity, filled with indescribable beauty and unity.
A poetic treatment of anthropocentrism, ontology, and existence.
This review of Encounters at the End of the World (2007) was written by Justin M on 05 Sep 2008.
Encounters at the End of the World has generally received very positive reviews.
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