Encounters at the End of the World (Dir: Werner Herzog)

I went into this film expecting a standard nature documentary about the wildlife of Antarctica and instead found an idiosyncratic travel diary wherein the director follows his fancies at a casually rambling pace. But director Werner Herzog has a unique outlook and a way with people so following his ramble proves quite enjoyable. This movie is as much about his obsessions and observations as it is Antarctica. In sacrificing structure it loses some momentum, but its still a journey worth making.

Herzog's film is as much about the people that find their way to Antarctica as it is about the wildlife that live there. He finds wanderers, dreamers, and the rootless. I couldn't help but think that many of the dwellers of the science station that Herzog visits have pasts they'd just as soon leave behind forever. Also, much of the work done by the scientists visiting there is extremely dangerous. Those caught outside in a snow storm may quickly be trapped in zero visibility and divers under the ice must enter through small openings that they then must relocate after finishing their dives. Antarctica is not a place for the timid.

It should also be said that Herzog also captures fantastic natural images. The world under the ice is seemingly alien. Herzog has an eye for the quirky, odd, and beautiful. But he is more likely to follow his fancy than provide context for the nature imagery on display. He is not as interested in teaching and informing as the typical nature filmmaker and this will no doubt frustrate those expecting David Attenborough.

Encounters is an artist and dreamer's view of the continent and its odd inhabitants. An idiosyncratic trip worth taking.