Fata Morgana (1971) – 5/5

More of an experience than a movie

The following paragraph is my short review from summer 2015:

This is a 75-minute movie by director Werner Herzog from almost 45 years ago, back when he wasn’t even 30. The film is mostly narrated by Lotte Eisner, one of Herzog’s closest collaborators (check out the story about Herzog’s long walk to keep her from dying), who has a pretty interesting life story as well. She did a very fine job narrating here, her voice is nice to listen to. It is as soothing as the entire movie and if that wasn’t already enough, they also included music by Leonard Cohen, one of my absolute favorites. It is certainly not a film for everybody. Haters will say we are doing nothing, but watching the desert for over an hour. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it a lot. The poetry is interesting, the music is good from start to finish. The only part I did not like that much was near the end when these two made music. It looked like it was out of a different film and did not fit the Sahara mentality at all in my opinion. But everything else was very nicely done. The images and sound are perfect to just lean back and relax. You find out a bit about the area (also outside the Sahara), landscapes, the people and animals. I highly recommend watching this. And don’t forget: Blitzkrieg is insanity.

Today, in February 2023, I got to watch this again, for the first time on the big screen on the occasion of a Werner Herzog film series and as this is still a film I really adore, I decided there is no way I would miss out on the experience today. I am glad I went. I will just share a few more thoughts that crossed my mind during today’s watch:

The highlight will always be the Leonard Cohen songs for me in here. Love the man. It’s three songs in total, some of his most famous, namely the ones that are not only about women as his songs always are, but you have the women’s names in the song titles. And the third is a number that is linked to what farewell should (not) look like. All Cohen songs are played in the second and third segment. In terms of structure, we have three chapters overall. The first belongs to Eisner entirely. No Cohen there and also almost no humans, for she talks about an era in which mankind did not exist yet, where animals also did not exist yet. Here and there, however, at the end of these endless desert landscapes, we could see the silhouettes of humans and this was some kind of foreshadowing to the rest of the film. In the second and especially third chapter humans are very present, so you could say that this film narrates the events also in chronological order with centuries, millennia actually, passing by. Eisner is out of the picture after the first chapter. We have male narration afterwards and I liked his voice too, even if most people I guess speak about Eisner when it comes to the narration to this film. The imdb credits list is telling enough. In any case, all the narration, especially Eisner’s made me curious to read more about the mythology in here, so mission accomplished from a perspective of curiosity you could say. I think I remember that when I saw this film for the first time, I even gave it a perfect rating, but it would not be inaccurate. It is much closer to a 5/5 or 10/10 than to a 3/5 or 6/10. The latter would really be not even close to enough, but then again, as I stated earlier already, I am pretty biased here as a huge Leonard Cohen fan. The film has way more to offer than great music though. There is amazing landscape photography throughout the entire 75 minutes and one shot stayed especially in the mind. I think it was from the end of the second chapter or beginning of the third, but it’s once again nature from up above and I really wanted to be there.

Back to the music, let me add that there are tunes included here that come from all kinds of different instruments, so no matter what you like, you will probably find it here. It is only music though that makes the images even stronger, none that overtakes them in a negative way. I mean hard rock and pop music can also be nice, but of course, it does not fit the contents here. Classical music and opera stuff as well does. And Cohen of course. In my original review I stated that was not too big on the final chapter and I must say, after watching it today, that it also grew on me again. This was typical Herzog there a bit too with this couple making music there and the mention of romance between humans before that. So this final chapter is really all about the lightness of things and offers some comic relief there. It is impossible not to join one character in laughing as he is laughing so hard and it is so contagious there with him while the poor guy next to him is trying to make a serious speech. Of course, you can never be sure to what extent this was staged and scripted, especially with Herzog in charge, but it was a success. The ending is also fitting if you take into account that Africa is of course not only inhibited by Black people. Just look at South Africa. Okay, the desert is, but then again in the north of the country you will also find people with mixed ethnicities. So I am just saying this to make a point that White people are not out of place in this film. It was surprising though that before that they were talking in German. Probably Germans living there. We also watch their encounters with local animals. Just take the guy with the little lizard or alligator or whatever it was. I was wondering why he said at the beginning he only has 16 years left to make a certain scientific discovery. How he controlled the lizard there was a parallel to the guy towards the end with the turtle, even if he lets the animal go then, but is getting ready to catch it again right away. He needs his equipment though for this while the turtle is fully in its element.

As for the African people in here, I cannot really call them actors, I liked the inclusion too. I was wondering what happened to them, what they became afterwards. As this film is now over 50 years old, even the young ones must be old. There was one scene with a group of African girls and they were standing all next to each other for the camera apparently and then letting go and just running around joyfully. Of course, a White man (or any man) with a camera must have been new to them. I would say there was little to no instruction from Herzog how they should behave. Their natural mannerisms and authenticity were fascinating enough already to get captured by the camera and there was no need for any script. Later on, scripting seemed more present like when we hear a narrator talk about the power of the sea and we have a young African stand there next to the shore and he is pointing at the waves. It was okay, but I almost enjoyed more the moments when the locals were being busy or just standing there and watching into the camera the way we were watching them. The only difference is we don’t see them. I am sure they would have been in disbelief, maybe even a bit flattered, if Herzog told them that they will still be watched over half a century later, with many of them sadly not alive anymore, especially if we look at life expectancies in these areas of the world. Then again, Herzog himself probably did not know back in the early 1970s (or 1960s even when the film got shot) how popular he would become in the 1970s and how popular and famous he would stay in the following decades. I am genuinely curious how some of the areas look now so many years/decades later and what has changed there. If the turtle is maybe still alive? If the lizard has sons and grandchildren that are alive in 2023 in a way that is has become a never-ending line of offspring for this little creature.

There is so much more from this film one could talk about. I myself would say that it is a work that sometimes reminded me of Wim Wenders‘ Wings of Desire movie(s) in terms of the poetry that is provided to us in here. I am a big fan of that one as well (or those) and thus I also ended up liking the outcome here a lot. Also nice to see Herzog not care about the usual standards at all and making a film that runs for an unusual 75 minutes here, nothing you see often at all. It felt right, no need for a fourth chapter anymore in the end. This is a film that is incredibly poetic and soothing and it is an even more rewarding watch on the big screen. Do not miss out if you get the chance to see it there and I am wondering if I was the only one in the audience that was not sure at the beginning if it was a technical error at the beginning or intended that the plane kept getting closer and then, moments later, was again so far away. If I had to come up with an interpretation there, then it would be that it is not just a normal flight and landing to get there because the region, the nature, the paradise (this word was used on several occasions) is just so different to our civilization that you have to land the plane many times to really arrive in this area. This is a wonderful movie, lean back and enjoy it. An utterly relaxing watch for the most part. I highly recommend checking it out and it could be my number-one favorite from 1971. Not just in terms of German films, but all films. That is all then and I encourage you again to read about the mesmerizing relationship between Herzog and Eisner. I’d happily take the long walk myself for Herzog if he is in poor health one day hoping it would change things for the better. And by the way, fennecs rule, no denying there. That is really all now. Thanks for reading and please go watch this film as soon as you can. It must not be forgotten. You know what? I am going back to the perfect rating for this one here now. It is deserving. Huge respect for everybody who was a part of the making of this film, Herzog the man himself of course, but also his regular crew members Schmidt-Reitwein and Mainka-Jellinghaus for example. How impressive for somebody not even 30 to come up with a piece of art like this.