Rating: 
Summary: At last available on DVD, complete with director commentary!
Review: A 'must see' for anyone who enjoys twisted tales mixed with beautifully absurd dialogs, prosaic imagery and a story as deep and touching as it is imaginative and grotesk. Maybe Herzog's most radical movie with a congenial script by Herbert Achternbusch, an acclaimed and dreaded german underground-poet. Don't expect your usual movie.
Rating:
Summary: Twisted Tale
Review: A 'must see' for anyone who enjoys twisted tales mixed with beautifully absurd dialogs, prosaic imagery and a story as deep and touching as it is imaginative and grotesk. Maybe Herzog's most radical movie with a congenial script by Herbert Achternbusch, an acclaimed and dreaded german underground-poet. Don't expect your usual movie.
Rating:
Summary: Young Werner's Excellent Adventure
Review: An excellent commentary with Werner Herzog is included in this DVD, and unravels the mysteries of the film to some degree. On initial viewing the acting style appears stylised to the point of bafflement, but then Herzog explains that most of the cast were hypnotised prior to their scenes. Why do this, one might ask, and here Herzog demurs, simply offering the obscure comment that 'the story' suggested that this would be an effective idea; he also admits to knowing little about hypnotism prior to shooting, and that once the idea occurred to him then he researched the topic! For all his intellect, this is one instinctual film-maker.
*
Herzog also gives some autobiographical information that is fascinating: he was raised in the Bavarian countryside, near the Austrian border, and lived in a house with no modern facilities whatsoever - it was unheated, there was no television, and not even a telephone - in fact he made his first telephone call at the age of seventeen - even today he says he has 'trouble' communicating over the phone. He saw his first movie around this age, and not long after started to make his own. He praises the circumstances of his childhood as conducive to the development of an imagination - the children had to invent their own stories and their own games. I'm not sure how 'explanatory' this is, after all he was the only one of his community to become a reknowned film-maker as far as I'm aware.
*
The story is simple and timeless. A secret is lost, in this case the process by which glass is made ruby red, and grave consequences follow. Herzog would not be drawn on the question of what else this could represent, but clearly was sympathetic to it being allegorical - what was lost could also be faith, or innocence, or purpose.
*
He travelled far and wide to obtain the particular landscapes featured, and he hopes these will evoke deep, archetypal, feelings in viewers. His journeys ranged to Alaska, Yellowstone Park, and Ireland, and yet he considers all these landscapes as 'Bavarian' in terms of their abstract spirit. He also, rather casually, mentions spending hours waiting for the right light to film certain scenes, and days capturing the stop-motion photography of clouds. No effort appeared too great to fulfill his vision (hardly a surprise if you've seen his South American films, 'Aguirre' and 'Fitzcarraldo').
*
For mine, one element of discord is the music, by Popul Vuh - Herzog obviously has a soft spot for this but it does sound terribly dated and is incongruous with the eighteenth century setting (think very bad imitation of Mahavishnu Orchestra).
*
The pacing of the film is slow, in keeping with the trance-affected acting. Unsurprisingly, the film did well in Scandanavia, while in America audiences reportedly found it difficult. Herzog himself seems intrigued by how time flows, or fails to, upon the screen. The cast features enough misshapen physiognomies to warm the cockles of Fellini or David Lynch. The lighting and cinematography are superb, as is the DVD transfer.
*
Herzog considers himself primarily a story-teller. He wants to tell his stories in ways previously untried. He is an adventurer in life and on film. He is a visionary, in many senses of the term. Personally, this is not my favourite of his films, and I think the experiment with hypnotism is something of a failure dramatically, but nevertheless he has created a work of art that is unique and endlessly open to interpretation. Five stars in the context of the world of film as a whole, but if you have not seen one of his films before then I think 'Stroszek', 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser', or 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' are more representative of his work.
Rating:
Summary: Young Werner's Excellent Adventure
Review: An excellent commentary with Werner Herzog is included in this DVD, and unravels the mysteries of the film to some degree. On initial viewing the acting style appears stylised to the point of bafflement, but then Herzog explains that most of the cast were hypnotised prior to their scenes. Why do this, one might ask, and here Herzog demurs, simply offering the obscure comment that 'the story' suggested that this would be an effective idea; he also admits to knowing little about hypnotism prior to shooting, and that once the idea occurred to him then he researched the topic! For all his intellect, this is one instinctual film-maker.
*
Herzog also gives some autobiographical information that is fascinating: he was raised in the Bavarian countryside, near the Austrian border, and lived in a house with no modern facilities whatsoever - it was unheated, there was no television, and not even a telephone - in fact he made his first telephone call at the age of seventeen - even today he says he has 'trouble' communicating over the phone. He saw his first movie around this age, and not long after started to make his own. He praises the circumstances of his childhood as conducive to the development of an imagination - the children had to invent their own stories and their own games. I'm not sure how 'explanatory' this is, after all he was the only one of his community to become a reknowned film-maker as far as I'm aware.
*
The story is simple and timeless. A secret is lost, in this case the process by which glass is made ruby red, and grave consequences follow. Herzog would not be drawn on the question of what else this could represent, but clearly was sympathetic to it being allegorical - what was lost could also be faith, or innocence, or purpose.
*
He travelled far and wide to obtain the particular landscapes featured, and he hopes these will evoke deep, archetypal, feelings in viewers. His journeys ranged to Alaska, Yellowstone Park, and Ireland, and yet he considers all these landscapes as 'Bavarian' in terms of their abstract spirit. He also, rather casually, mentions spending hours waiting for the right light to film certain scenes, and days capturing the stop-motion photography of clouds. No effort appeared too great to fulfill his vision (hardly a surprise if you've seen his South American films, 'Aguirre' and 'Fitzcarraldo').
*
For mine, one element of discord is the music, by Popul Vuh - Herzog obviously has a soft spot for this but it does sound terribly dated and is incongruous with the eighteenth century setting (think very bad imitation of Mahavishnu Orchestra).
*
The pacing of the film is slow, in keeping with the trance-affected acting. Unsurprisingly, the film did well in Scandanavia, while in America audiences reportedly found it difficult. Herzog himself seems intrigued by how time flows, or fails to, upon the screen. The cast features enough misshapen physiognomies to warm the cockles of Fellini or David Lynch. The lighting and cinematography are superb, as is the DVD transfer.
*
Herzog considers himself primarily a story-teller. He wants to tell his stories in ways previously untried. He is an adventurer in life and on film. He is a visionary, in many senses of the term. Personally, this is not my favourite of his films, and I think the experiment with hypnotism is something of a failure dramatically, but nevertheless he has created a work of art that is unique and endlessly open to interpretation. Five stars in the context of the world of film as a whole, but if you have not seen one of his films before then I think 'Stroszek', 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser', or 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' are more representative of his work.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and Prosaic
Review: Before buying this video, I had read the plot and it sounded intriguing. This is a movie that I would recommend you rent before you buy it. In the two or three times I've watched this I've been very disappointed in it. It's not the acting, the movie just doesn't seem to go anywhere. Some of director Werner Herzog's movies tend to be like this one, in that they don't match up to what they should've. This movie is hard to get into and it's a choir sitting through the whole thing. The only thing I found that was of any interest was the scene in the glass factory when they were trying to make the ruby glass. Disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Still baffled, still coming down...
Review: For once I am (almost) speechless. I just don't know how I feel about this film yet. I am a fan of Herzog, but this exists in its own universe and aside from pacing seems unlike other films of his I have seen. Bear in mind that I only saw this last night and have not viewed it with the commentary yet.I must say that at first I found it almost laughable-- a sort of stereotypical excersize in Germanic avant-garde, cynical, impenetrable arthouse schtick. I thought it would make excellent fodder for a spoof ala Saturday Night Live's "Schprockets" skits. However, I could never once take my eyes from the screen and as it progressed I felt surrounded by the images and characters. As another reviewer said, they disliked the film at first but found later that they were haunted my scenes from the film. It is a lot like that. It is a lot like being hypnotized, which appears to have been an aim of Herzog's. Upon reflection, the only thing that really bothered me about the film is that the Popol Vuh music during some segments seemed out of place. I tend to like it when period pieces retain period music. This is not a movie that many in America would find enjoyable, where there must be explicit sex or a shootout or car chase within the first five minutes for it to be acceptable to the popular palette. But for those oh-so-pretentious "aht" types, this is drool fuel, and for those more reasoned and critical lovers of film and admirers of Herzog, this simply must be seen. Perhaps the most enigmatic film I have ever watched. It is beyond loving it or hating it, thus the 3 stars. The film is here. It exists, and now is lodged in my subconscious forever. I don't know how to feel about that.
Rating:
Summary: At last available on DVD, complete with director commentary!
Review: Given Anchor Bay's exhaustive catelogue of Herzog films, superbly engineered and laden with valuable extras, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of "Heart of Glass" on DVD, a film which ranks among the director's most enigmatic and challenging works (and considering Herzog's reputation for weaving eerie stories and for surreal character studies, this is saying alot). Ever since Anchor Bay's glorious widescreen remastered tranfer of Fitzcarraldo, a title which had been out of print for years, this studio's committment to the excellence of their Herzog releases has been truly commendable. I have often criticized the lackluster foreign film releases published by New Yorker, Kino, Fox Lorber, and even Anchor Bay, so I think it is important to pay due respect when a studio releases DVDs of such high and consistent quality. With the pending release of this film, along with the "Enigma of Kaspar Hauser," "Stroszek," and the superp, very rare documentaries "Lessons of Darkness" and "Fata/Morgana," among others, Anchor Bay's exhaustive Herzog catalogue is nearing completion. I must admit that upon the first Herzog DVD release of the director's well-known remake of "Nosferatu," I never anticipated this studio to follow with so many outstanding, widescreen transfers of rare early and later Herzog gems. Next to "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," "Heart of Glass" is probably my favorite Herzog film. Along with the "Enigma of Kaspar Hauser," it is also probably the director's most challenging work. While I am unable to document any connection, the influence of this film on the work of David Lynch seems undeniable. I first saw "Heart of Glass" after the premature demise of "Twin Peaks," and was amazed by the parallels between the two works. The film's quirky characters, eerie locations, and hypontic pacing breathed new life into the world Lynch had created in his television series. Of course, if Twin Peaks was not to your taste, you will probably not like "Heart of Glass," although I by no means wish to conflate the two works. However, do not expect to understand this film after one viewing or even two or three. Besides retelling an old Bavarian legend, this is a picture that confronts its viewer with an entirely new and absorbing world, which would be impossible to fully aprecciate after one sitting. If you ask me, this is precisely the type of film that you will want in your library. In addition, Anchor Bay has complemented its digitally remastered widescreen transfer with audio commentary by Werner Herzog (for whatever reason, Amazon has failed to mention this point in its product description). Although I cannot comment on the quality of the transfer, since the DVD will not be released for at least a couple more weeks, given the overall excellence of past releases of Herzog films, I would highly recommend that you preorder this DVD. I can also add that the widescreen presentation has been enhanced for widecreen televisions. Even if, like me, you do not yet have access to HDTV, you will be grateful for this feature in 10 years. A highly recommended film and DVD release!
Rating: 
Summary: Wierd
Review: Had to review this for German Class. Apparently the film won no awards and I can see why. Very strange, unconnected, disjointed movie that depends on the viewer's imagination to connect the dots, but the dots just aren't there. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic
Review: Herzog is a master of the off-beat (though I cannot recommend some of his recent films like 'Cobra Verde and 'Invincible'). His approach in 'Heart of Glass' is experimental and strangely beautiful. It has a sort of contemplative, mystical feel - with some of the greatest imagery put to film since the silent era. Along with Tarkovsky, Herzog is one of the greatest directors at capturing atmosphere and completely absorbing his audience with it - whether or not they are prepared for such a journey. I am not at all surprized by some of the negative reviews of this film - as it is out of the ordinary - but for me it is out of the ordinary in a transcendental way - like all great works of art.
Rating:
Summary: Attitude, my friends
Review: I bought this DVD because I was intrigued by the description of a small village gripped by insanity following the death of a glassmaker. But when I watched it I immediately dubbed it horrible. I felt as though it had killed me. After that night, though, I couldn't get the pictures out of my head. I could vividly recall scenes from the film, and as they played out in my mind they seemed so beautiful. The more I thought, the more I realized that I had merely watched the movie with the wrong idea, expecting something that it was not. The attitude of the movie became clear to me. When I watched it the second time I was stunned by how amazingly well the stupor and dazed madness of the town was portrayed. The events and actions of the characters engulfed me and drew me into the story. The hypnotic trance of the actors provides an effect I have never seen before. This truly is a great film if you are prepared for it.
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