Werner Herzog is one of our greatest living filmmakers and after 40 years seems to have reached a golden period in the documentary form.
After the fantastic Grizzly Man, Herzog heads for Antarctica, the last great wilderness under serious threat from man and the subject of this glorious film nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.
Herzog is at his best when examining the eccentricities of modern life or those operating on the fringes of modern society. With his trademark dispassionate eye and deadpan wit, but also great humanity, this exceptional film examines the a hidden society on the ice.
These people who choose to live in unbelievably harsh isolated conditions in pursuit of scientific goals risk both their physical and mental health. Herzog and his camera operator capture astounding imagery of this barren but beautiful continent, both above and below the ice. As with all of Herzog’s work, there is more than meets the eye and his spellbinding narration engages us to see beyond the ice into the hearts of these unconventional adventurers.
