Stroszek

Fascinating, unique look at the American dream follows three German social misfits (Bruno S., Eva Mattes, Clemens Scheitz) as they travel to Railroad Flats, Wisconsin to seek a better life. Strange comic moments mesh together well with some extremely sad and moving moments. Superbly performed by everybody, although the cast is mostly non-actors. The documentary style shooting works well with the story. One of Herzog's best.

A friend once commented to me that what made a painting more interesting than say, just the oil on the canvas, was the story behind the painting and the story behind the person who painted it. This works ideally when applied to this wonderfully, deeply affecting film. IF you've watched this film then you must know a little about the back story and if now read the twenty other reviews posted here. The truth is what makes this film great! The truth it takes to mix this film with fact and fiction, to script or not to script! To style or not to style. This is wondrous. Herzog is one of those film makers that only come along once in a very very long time, And of course you all know about the ending. It's fitting I suppose perhaps prophetic if you really think about it. Never How! Let the beauty of this film pass down from good friend to good friend. FIVE STARS!

"Stroszek" will potentially depress the hell out of you unless you happen to find Werner Herzog's brand of off-beat filmmaking amusing. I do mostly, and therefore wasn't tempted to jump off a bridge at the end of this movie, but I don't know that I'd go as far as to say it's "riotously funny," as its marketing poster suggests.

"Stroszek" tells the fictional story of a real man named Bruno Stroszek. In other words, Stroszek plays himself in this eccentric film about a man who's released from prison, meets back up with his girlfriend and elderly buddy, and takes off for the fabled lands of....Wisconsin....to pursue the American dream. Anyone who's actually been to Wisconsin can probably guess how things play out for three immigrants with about three dollars between them. What follows is a series of vignettes that place Bruno in increasingly desperate straits and ends in an ambiguous finale that involves a ski lift and dancing chickens.

Welcome to the world of Werner Herzog, folks. "Stroszek" is not as compelling as some of Herzog's best, but it does inspire a sort of morbid fascination, if only because we take comfort that our situation isn't as bad as the one our characters find themselves in. But lest you are tempted to feel too sorry for Stroszek, he, like many of Herzog's protagonists, staunchly refuses to beg for sympathy, and faces one hardship after another with the dogged determination of a man who never fully understands how humble is his lot.

Grade: A-

I just had the opportunity to see Werner Herzog's "Stroszek" for the first time in its new DVD edition. It's certainly a bleak scenario, but I'm not so sure it was meant to be as critical of the United States as many viewers both here and abroad suppose. In his commentary for this film, it seems to me that Herzog plays down that aspect of it. He expresses a strong affection for the typical Americans seen in the film -- non-actors who just happened to be on the scene and were prevailed-upon to more-or-less portray themselves. The unfortunate protagonist of the film, played by longtime Herzog protégé Bruno S., leaves for America with his friends to escape a brutal and oppressive existence in Berlin. While misfortune comes to them in a different guise in America, it's hardly more barbaric or degrading than their lives in Berlin. To me it suggests that human nature is the same everywhere, and the weak are always preyed-upon. Bruno and his companions are just innocent enough to believe the old legend that in America the streets are paved with gold.

The running commentary that Herzog has recorded for the recent DVDs of his films are among the most interesting and engaging I've heard, and they're one of the reasons I especially appreciate the DVD medium. That's not to say that he lets the literal-minded viewer off the hook by providing handy explanations for every peculiar image or bit of dialog. When asked what a certain image or phrase signifies, he will sometimes simply say that he cannot explain it. But I find it fascinating to watch a scene, and then scan back and listen to his comments about the location, actors, technical details, and yes, even sometimes the intended effect of a puzzling image. Many of the people seen in his films are non-actors, people he simply ran into, found interesting, and intuitively knew would be effective on film. Some of the players in Herzog's films are the very people that most directors would chase from their set with security guards, but he sees something interesting in them, and finds a way to tap into it. I can't help liking the man for that. Some people have suggested that his use of the unfortunate Bruno S. as a film actor amounted to some sort of exploitation. But it seems to me that his befriending of Bruno, and his artful and patient use of him as a film actor, must have given Bruno some sense of the dignity and worth as a unique human being that was denied him for most of his life. If this means nothing to you, and you don't know anything about Bruno S., the commentary tracks on either "Stroszek" or "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser" explain his background nicely. It's a remarkable story.

If you're unfamiliar with Herzog's work, he has done some especially exotic films with the volatile actor Klaus Kinski. "Cobra Verde" is a particular favorite of mine. But his films do not have the relentless pace or hyperactive editing typical of mainstream American films. They are unforgiving of those with short attention-spans, so be forewarned.

Stroszek, directed by Werner Herzog, features Bruno S. who previously starred in Herzog's The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. The actor's speaking style and mannerisms are much the same in both films, but ultimately this film falls short of the earlier one. In it, Bruno Stroszek is a German alcoholic who, released from prison, takes in a prostitute. If they're lovers, it's hard to tell, because what we see makes their relationship seem totally platonic. They are targeted for harassment, and seek a better life by moving to Wisconsin- even though Stroszek doesn't speak English. The prostitute works as a waitress, but falls back to her old patterns and abandons Stroszek and the elderly German man they were living with.

There are certain messages in this film, and a probably important one is that it's hard to run away from trouble. Moving to a new city, or country in this case, doesn't always do it. When the prostitute leaves Stroszek for Vancouver, leaving him with a mortgage and no income, you know he's screwed. Beyond these elements, Stroszek is a movie with character but is not altogether impressive. Bruno Stroszek is interesting, but not as extraordinary as Kaspar Hauser. Ultimately, it leaves me a little underwhelmed.