Home Films/DVD Asylum

Movies from comedy to drama to your favorite Hollyweird Star.

"Stroszek"

I'm guessing most here know what this about but in case you don't...

It's the story of a German alcoholic street singer (played by and written for a schizophrenic street singer and abused son of a prostitute/one time ward of the state Bruno S.) who upon release from prison tries to help an abused prostitute escape a bad situation with her pimps.

As things get worse for the two of them in Berlin (constant harrasment by said pimps) they accompany their elderly neighbor to the US (Wisconsin) who's decided to go live with a relative there.

Once in America things begin to go well for them and then things fall apart.

Some see the film as a critique of the "American Dream" but Herzog says (in the book Herzog on Herzog which I'm currently reading) that it's a story of people who don't really fit into the norms of society and that it could have taken place anywhere but he wanted to film in the US.

The ending, which Herzog feels is among his best, felt so wrong to the crew that there was a mini revolt on the shoot and he had to shoot it himself.

In watching it the ending felt, if not perfect then very close to it and it's hard to see why the crew would have such a problem with it.

The shots of the chickens dancing and playing instruments seemed the an excellent metaphor for a world where if you don't get with the program (a program that can make one robotic and a bit soul-less) you fall through the cracks.

I thought this was a very, very good film with extraordinary performances. It has heart and humanity and can be sad and frustrating but there's a spirit to Stroszek (the character) a kind of knowingness that shines through.

Some more trivia... the film was shot in Plansfield, WI and the reason Herzog discovered the place (and connected with a couple of the local's who appear in the film) is because he went to Plainsfield to meet Errol Morris who, in researching Ed Gein (from Plansfield along with 5 other mass murderers), discovered that the graves Gein dug up to make lampshades (out of the bodies) formed a precise circle around the grave of his mother and Morris and Herzog were going to dig up the mother to see if she was there or if Gein had taken her body as well. Apparently Morris never showed and Herzog used the town when he shot Stroszek and Morris was pissed that Herzog had "Stolen his landscapes" so Herzog thanks him int he openeing credits as a peace offering.

Also, Herzog had promised Bruno S. that he would be in Woyzeck and then in a panic Herzog realized he need Kinski to play that role so he called Bruno and let him know it wasn't to be. Bruno was so sad and had already arranged so many things to be on the film that Herzog said he'd write him another film that week and call it "Stroszek" so that it sounded similar. Bruno was ecstatic and WH wrote the screenplay in 5 days. The name Stroszek came from a schoolmate who once wrote a paper for Herzog with his payment being the promise that one day Herzog would make his name famous.



Don't piss on my shoe and tell me it's raining.


This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Kimber Kable  


Topic - "Stroszek" - sjb 09:18:05 04/23/07 (1)

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.