Rating: 
Summary: There are really good movies...
Review: ...there are great movies, and then there is "Kaspar Hauser". Those unfamiliar with it, or unfamiliar with the films of Werner Herzog in general, should remedy the situation at their earliest convenience.If you have ever been stirred to the marrow by a film performance, grab plenty of Kleenex -maybe don a raincoat- before sitting down to meet Bruno S. God bless Werner Herzog.
Rating:
Summary: There are really good movies...
Review: ...there are great movies, and then there is "Kaspar Hauser". Those unfamiliar with it, or unfamiliar with the films of Werner Herzog in general, should remedy the situation at their earliest convenience. If you have ever been stirred to the marrow by a film performance, grab plenty of Kleenex -maybe don a raincoat- before sitting down to meet Bruno S. God bless Werner Herzog.
Rating:
Summary: There are really good movies...
Review: ...there are great movies, and then there is "Kaspar Hauser". Those unfamiliar with it, or unfamiliar with the films of Werner Herzog in general, should remedy the situation at their earliest convenience. If you have ever been stirred to the marrow by a film performance, grab plenty of Kleenex -maybe don a raincoat- before sitting down to meet Bruno S. God bless Werner Herzog.
Rating:
Summary: Kaspar Hauser by any other name . . .
Review: First, the original title of this film is *not* The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. It's Every Man For Himself And God Against All. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser - also The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser - are America-only titles. That really doesn't detract from anything, but if you're ever looking for information on the film, you might want to know. This is a great dvd, with a mildly informative biography of Herzog and (yay!) commentary from him. The commentary is very worth listening to - more informative, I think, than the Criterion version's film essay would have been in this case. Herzog is a very interesting man with a very storied past, and this commentary explores that. Norman Hill - who shares the English track - seems to have been put there for the sole purpose of prompting Herzog into speech and gets grating after a while. The movie itself is also wonderful - even if it feels at times to be missing Klaus Kinski, Herzog's lifelong friend and actor. This is due mainly to the way that Kaspar Hauser shares the feel of Herzog's more famous work, Aguirre - The Wrath of God. Many of the shots are the same: foggy landscapes shot through multiple lenses to disassociate the viewer from them, images of isolation on the water, and, of course, the controlled manner of speech which Bruno S. adopts for the film. There's even a moment where Bruno steps out in front of the camera in the very same fashion that Kinski invented for Aguirre. A very worthwhile DVD, my only problem comes with the subtitles. While they seem (mostly - Herzog comments on one or two moments) to be adequate translations, they are at times unreadable. I'm not sure how escapable that is given that this is a colour film, but it seems Criterion have done an ample job on similar works. Cries and Whispers comes to mind. That one flaw, however, is minor and should in no way detract you from purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Kaspar Hauser by any other name . . .
Review: First, the original title of this film is *not* The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. It's Every Man For Himself And God Against All. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser - also The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser - are America-only titles. That really doesn't detract from anything, but if you're ever looking for information on the film, you might want to know. This is a great dvd, with a mildly informative biography of Herzog and (yay!) commentary from him. The commentary is very worth listening to - more informative, I think, than the Criterion version's film essay would have been in this case. Herzog is a very interesting man with a very storied past, and this commentary explores that. Norman Hill - who shares the English track - seems to have been put there for the sole purpose of prompting Herzog into speech and gets grating after a while. The movie itself is also wonderful - even if it feels at times to be missing Klaus Kinski, Herzog's lifelong friend and actor. This is due mainly to the way that Kaspar Hauser shares the feel of Herzog's more famous work, Aguirre - The Wrath of God. Many of the shots are the same: foggy landscapes shot through multiple lenses to disassociate the viewer from them, images of isolation on the water, and, of course, the controlled manner of speech which Bruno S. adopts for the film. There's even a moment where Bruno steps out in front of the camera in the very same fashion that Kinski invented for Aguirre. A very worthwhile DVD, my only problem comes with the subtitles. While they seem (mostly - Herzog comments on one or two moments) to be adequate translations, they are at times unreadable. I'm not sure how escapable that is given that this is a colour film, but it seems Criterion have done an ample job on similar works. Cries and Whispers comes to mind. That one flaw, however, is minor and should in no way detract you from purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Review: I first saw this film at a Werner Hertzog film festival held at the Academy Twin in Oxford Street, Paddington, in Sydney Australia sometime between 1975 to 1977 I guess, and its memory has been with me ever since. Many years later it aired on SBS TV [Special Broadcasting Services - Ethnic TV] in Sydney with David Stratten as the presenter, but due to my poor TV reception at the time I didn't tape it! Along with 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' and 'Fitzcarraldo' it is one of my all-time favourite films if not the number one. I take my hat off to Hertzog for the great films he's put together over the years which, had the effect of keeping this boy 'sane'. I seem to recall David Stratten saying that Kaspar Hauser was originally released in Germany as 'Every Man for Himself, and God Against All'. This film should definitely be re-released on video and also transferred to DVD as soon as possible and made available to all who are interested in it. In fact this film is so good that it should be studied in schools around the world. If it shows up on TV again, this time I'm ready... ariel correctly aligned!
Rating:
Summary: Herzog's best
Review: I must say, a fine movie indeed - a philosopher's delight! This movie is art. Need I say more?
Rating: 
Summary: One of Herzog's Better Films
Review: I'm a bigger fan of this movie than some of Werner Herzog's other offerings. I've watched this two or three times, and think that it's a worthwhile movie to watch. The acting is very good and so is everything else. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Also another film on it - two for one, you for two
Review: If you want see this film, you will have to see another film on "Kaspar Hauser". The director is Peter Sehr. It's really wonderful. Also this film tells about inner development and purity facing to violence and perversion. When I have seen it, it made me feel a deep, warm understanding - strongly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Herzog at his finest
Review: In all his ouvre, Herzog has rarely excelled more in sheer humanity of his vision as in The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser. There is little preoccupation with the gross and strange elements that form many of his later films. One can see a similar approach in Signs Of Life and The Land Of Silence And Darkness, and even later in Strozek (also with Bruno S.) but this is his masterpiece. The story of a foundling misunderstood by most and doomed to a tragic end rings true for all of us who care about others marginalized by society. The filmic style is straightforward with little pretense to flashy or overt techniques, but don't fool yourself - the visual style is quite calculated to reveal the inner truths flowing from the soul of Bruno S. This film is absolutely his finest hour (along with Aguirre) and has set the tone for his career to this day.
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