The Fire Within: Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft

I'm glad Herzog's gone back to making documentaries in the twilight of his career because his films of the 21st century have often been disappointing, while his documentaries continue to wow. His voice is a little more aged here, he's getting considerably older, but he's still got the old magic. THE FIRE WITHIN, which follows the career of a couple of ill-fated vulcanologists via their own filmed footage, is classic Herzog, looking at the darker side of mankind's place in nature. Shades of GRIZZLY MAN and others, then. The footage is astonishingly beautiful, accompanied by wonderfully chosen music and Herzog's thoughtful narration.

The pictures of exploding volcanoes are quite extraordinary, the accompanying soundtrack is fittingly haunting, this documentary also shows how devastating exploding volcanoes can be for the human beings, animals & the countryside that lie in their paths. You just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also Werner Herzog's narration is magnificent in its wonder, tenderness & almost reverence for the power of nature - & his admiration of the Krafft couple is quite evident. You are left really regretting that they were killed during an eruption in Japan because their archive feels unfinished while their legacy lives on.

I could honestly not listen to some parts of the awe inspiring footage for the shouting and wailing music. This type of music is so divisive I don't know why they didn't just use emotive classical music. It spoiled the whole documentary for me. What I did see with the sound turned down was amazing. The couple seem to have a death wish at times and are more thrill seekers than volcanologist. The footage they filmed is incredible though. To see the devastation volcanos wreck on human and animal life is heartbreaking. This is how our amazing planet began and to honour the death from our past we should do more to save our future.

Some scenes were so awe-inspiring I had to watch twice. I particularly savoured the pairing of the Kyrie from Bach's Bminor Mass with erupting volcanoes and larvae flow as it gave an unexpectedly graceful impression. Later on we hear extracts from Verdi's Requiem but not the overly famous bit! We don't learn much of what motivates Katia and Maurice Kraft to be so consumed by volcanoes which is part of the charm of the documentary as it gives the viewer an opportunity to ruminate instead. The narration gives plenty of space. The few words which are spoken are very telling. A masterpiece which I feel immensely privileged to have watched.

Werner Herzog made this documentary not as a biography, but as a celebration and showcase of the work of a French couple famed for their pioneering photography of volcanoes, a dangerous craft that ultimately cost them their lives. It's pleasingly unpretentious: we see excerpts from their (still stunning) work alongside a little casual footage of the film-makers themselves, while Herzog gives us a quiet commentary more from the perspective of a fan than that of an expert (though of course he knows something of what he is talking about). If there's a tragic dimension (did they keep taking risks because that was what, at the end of the day, they did) Herzog doesn't dwell on it. It might sound dull and pedestrian, but the stunning images keep you attached, and draw out your admiration for those who dared to film them.