Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful humanistic masterpiece from Herzog.
Review: In this film, Werner Herzog uses the real life enigmatic character of Kasper Hauser to ask such questions as, "Who are we?", "How do we learn?" and "What is it to be human?" Questions of such singular importance that neither science, logic or religious dogma can offer adequate answers. Great truths are felt rather than analyzed and by fleshing out the very humanness of Kasper through the incredible performance of Bruno S., we gain such a sense of right and wrong that societal convention seems out of balance and perverse. In the end we get the feeling that we can only learn anything from Kasper because he looks at the world without prejudice or preconceived notions of right and wrong. The film begins with the following written introduction: "One Sunday in 1828 a ragged boy was found in the town of N. He could hardly walk and spoke but one sentence. Later he told of being locked in a dark cellar from birth. He had never seen a human being, a tree, a house before. To this day on one knows where he came from - or who set him free." Kasper becomes for "civilized" society an experiment in humanity. The only problem is that he does not respond in expected ways, therefore, there must be something wrong with him - some scientifically explainable flaw! But through beautiful effective images we experience Kaspers humanity; the childlike joy he experiences while feeding a baby bird; tears of confusion pouring down his face after getting stung by a candle flame at the hands of those who know better; the tenderness he exhibits with an infant child. As Kasper is introduced to "high" society, essentially as a freakish novelty that can be molded into conformity through "education", it is not he who is the real freak show, but those who seem to be ashamed of their own attachment to nature. Suddenly Kasper is the only non-freak in the film! Herzog seems to have learned much from the story of Kasper Hauser and has created a beautiful testament to that spirit with this film.
Rating:
Summary: Woooooho...woooooooho
Review: It's sooooooooooooooo great. Yes it's so great. Finally. Thank you Anchor Bay.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Powerful Film Ever Made
Review: Not only is The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Werner Herzog's best film but it is without question one of the 5 greatest films of all time. This movie has some of the most astonishing and powerful images ever committed to film. One of the opening shot's is that of a wheat field blowing in the wind while Pachelbel's Cannon plays and the following words appear on the screen; "Don't you hear that horrible screaming all around you? That screaming men call silence." This sequence perfectly captures the essence of this film. The beauty of suffering seen through the eyes of a man that is completing untainted and untouched by society. This movie will change your life. This movie has amazing cinematography, a genius use of music, astonishing performances and Werner Herzog's direction is unbelievable.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully symbolic piece of art
Review: This film deals with the role of society in a person's development. Herzog implies through the film that society basically kills our creative thoughts and feelings. Writing and language serve as Herzog's vehicle to portray this. Pay attention to the play on words such as Schreiben and Reiter(directly translated: rider, but I believe that Herzog used this word because of its similarity to writer), and all scenes that have to do with writing, specifically the scene where Kaspar is writing his autobiography. The film is full of images that have their roots in the German Romantic period! I highly recommend this intellectually stimulating film!!
Rating:
Summary: One of the truly great films and art works
Review: This film is a transcendent work of art: a perfect synthesis of content -- the critique of classical bourgeois European civilization through the eyes of one being socialized into it as a young adult, who is also in touch with the world of dreams, imagination, and otherness -- and form -- the sensitive filmic rendition of the tension between these two dimensions, done almost as though it had been filmed in the early 19th century, in which nature and otherness had not yet been totally overwhelmed by modernization. This is one of those rare films where the film is not only great as a whole, but each scene and each shot seems perfect, from the boat on the lake accompanied by music from Mozart's Magic Flute to Kaspar's dream of the Caucausus to his wild, disorganized effort to play the piano to his interrogation by two clerics to his social display by Lord Stanhope. If Theodor Adorno had been a filmmaker, this is one of the films he would have made.
Rating:
Summary: WHOOPEE!
Review: This film is funny, intelligent, and gripping. It'll draw you in and keep your attention, then make you want to watch it again. Bruno S. as Kaspar Hauser is one of the most unforgettable characters I've ever seen in a movie, and believe me, I've seen a lot of movies. Oh yeah, a chicken gets hypnotized in this flick; even that alone makes it worth watching!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent transfer of superb, unique film
Review: This has been a favorite since I first saw it in a college film series soon after it came out. Among the 80 or so DVDs I have bought, I rank it at the very top for fidelity to the color and texture of the original film. The sound is also crystal clear. If you look hard enough you'll find the occasional artifact, but they are drowned out for me by the natural look.
I hope the DVD version brings this treasure to a whole new audience.
(An added bonus for students of German is the ability to turn off the subtitles.)
Now all I want to know is when the hell I'll be able to get La Dolce Vita on DVD!
Rating: 
Summary: It Dreamed to Me of the Caucasus....
Review: This is maybe Herzog's warmest, most likeable film, if not necessarily his best - it is very touching and poignant without being remotely sentimental or mawkish. Rewatching it recently I couldn't help wondering how familiar David Lynch was with this film before he made "Elephant Man". The dreamlike opening scenes where a woman's face (Kaspar's mother?) appears in soft focus and the scene with the fairground barker are irresistably reminiscent of "Elephant Man" as is much of the overall feel of the film - time to 'fess up David. As mentioned above and as with so many of Herzog's films, the opening scenes are stunning (think of "Aguirre" and "Heart of Glass"). There also are many many memorable scenes throughout, particularly Kaspar's touching relationship with the jailer's children and those scenes where he expounds on his own peculiar logic. It must be said however that Herzog's customary slow pace renders the film less accessible to a mainstream audience than it possibly could have been. Central to the film's success is the unforgettable performance of the mysterious Bruno S. in the title role. Bruno, an eccentric, possibly mentally ill, "street person" is far too old to play the part (Kaspar is supposed to be 16) but brings an extraordinary childlike dignity and pathos to the role - it's simply impossible to imagine a trained actor giving this performance. As with "Even Dwarves Started Small" there's no suggestion that Herzog is exploiting one of society's outcasts, at the same time there is not the merest hint of condescension either. By the way, Bruno S. would have made an excellent Beethoven if anyone had chosen to cast him as such - in my opinion! As it is, much of the humour of the film is lost in the subtitles (Herzog's films are often funnier than they're given credit for) and, the pace is rather too slow at times and the dialogue occasionally ponderous - but this is still an excellent film and one of Herzog's best. Coincidentally, this is one of the few Herzog films not to (directly) feature the music of Popol Vuh. However the band's leader, Florian Fricke, does appear in the film as a blind orphaned pianist called Florian (what else!). Not only that but he plays a small piece of Popol Vuh music on the piano - Kaspar's guardian is moved to say that Florian's music "sounds strange to most people" (which it does), Kaspar replies that the music "feels strong in my heart" (which it also does!).
Rating:
Summary: Intellect as destroyer, God as capricious.
Review: This is one of those movies whose images have been ingrained in my subconcious. The bizarre story of the boy who is inexplicably kept confined in a cellar and then suddenly released into the world is both metaphor for humanity and the development of personality. As he is exposed to the rules of society and the supposed advantage of civilization, he is persistently returned to the truth of his own nature and ways of seeing. The interludes of grainy images regarding a caravan in the desert are nothing short of transcendental. God returns in the end to reclaim him. May our lives be as truthful.
Rating:
Summary: A gothic mystery far from solving !
Review: This winner of the 1975 Grand Jury Prize Cannes tells the story of an mysterious man isolated and found in very poor and miserable conditions . He can not articulate any word , since he has grown as almost a wild beast .
Nevertheless , he shows surprising advances and an overwhelming intelligence during his adapatation process to the society and shows a weird sense of prophecy . His death still remains far from resolving .
This bizarre and compelling film is very close to previous films such as The miracle worker (Artur Pen 1962) and The wild Child Francois Truffaut 1969). You can notice the echoes of this plot in other minor films such as K Pax , Nell and the unforgettable Nicholas Roeg work of 1976 The man who fell to earth .
This artistic work is illuminated with dark poetry and atmospheric charm .
Bruno Ganz is perfect in this complex role . And since Klaus Kinki was always the protegee of Herzog , his hard features could mean a serious obstacle to the character , where the naifness and the sense of loneliness should be reflected in every movement .
The direction was extraordinary . The influence of the german expresionism is undeniable in this sense . The movie is a gothic nightmare which involves this misterious human being .
This picture seems to improve with the age .
Watch one the major achievements of this superb creator of atmospheres and edge of the knife situations ; Werner Herzog.
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