Review: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Cave of Forgotten Dreams is exactly the kind of documentary you would expect from Werner Herzog — which is to say, one in which the structure and even the subject itself will not surprise, but where the directions in which Herzog takes them definitely will. The famed filmmaker essentially assumes the same inquisitive role–character, if you will–in all of his films, but in this case, formula works. Somewhere between Herzog’s trademark narration, which is so off-putting it first seems humorous, until you realize just how penetrating it is, and his uncanny ability to find fascinating figures in the unlikeliest of places, lies bottomless beauty and insight. I went into Cave of Forgotten Dreams with no interest in ancient cave paintings and, to be honest, I didn’t walk out of the theater with much, either… but using them as the fulcrum for his usual rich storytelling, Herzog took me on a journey that was fulfilling in its own special way.

There is one notable addition to the equation this time around, however, so let’s get it out of the way first: Herzog shoots in 3D. While I am none too fond of the new technology, Cave of Forgotten Dreams represents its most appropriate use to date. This is somewhat remarkable, given the entire movie was shot by Herzog and a three-man crew, with a limited amount of gear and recording time in very confined spaces. (Take that, James Cameron!) Together, they transport the viewer into the Chauvet Cave in Southern France, which was discovered in 1994 but has since only been accessed by an elite group of scientists for short periods, so as to preserve the chemical makeup of its air supply. This practice ensures that the cave’s many paintings, done thousands of years ago, remain intact. The 3D allows Herzog to capture the space as it appears in person, so as to demonstrate the way the paintings play off the natural curvature of the walls. The technology carries a purpose here, as spacial awareness critically the aids viewer in content-processing, unlike in a fiction film, where it mostly serves as a distraction from the characters and the story.

The paintings themselves are eye-opening relics of the past, and they will certainly engage those who dreamed of becoming archaeologists as kids, all by themselves. But for those of us whose scientific interests are more modest, Herzog crafts a narrative around the ancient images that is even more compelling. It tells the story of the people who have dedicated their lives to the cave — mapping it and analyzing the paintings, effectively recreating geologic and cultural history, one clue at a time. Not only is this process technically interesting, it introduces us to humans into whose personalities only Herzog would pry. Instances like the one in which Herzog asks an archaeologist about his past, to by happenstance discover that he was once a circus performer, are what separate Cave of Forgotten Dreams from a Discovery Channel program on the same topic. Herzog has such an interest in his subjects that the results are unparalleled. Nowhere in the film is this more evident than during Herzog’s cave-tour from curator Dominique Baffier, who he focuses on in a state of uninterrupted wonder as she describes a fossilized handprint with a crooked right pinky that allows them to trace its possessor throughout the cave.

Somehow, it all ends with a post-script featuring albino alligators that culminates to form that distinct sense of transcendence that only Herzog can get away with. The segment seems comical in that no other documentarian would dare frame their conclusion around such an abstraction, but never to the point at which it becomes narcissistic on Herzog’s behalf, because it is undeniably telling and beautiful — an encapsulation of Herzog’s style in general. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is not cohesive or defined enough to be a masterpiece of cinema, but Herzog’s wide-eyed approach perfectly matches the spirit of exploration on which its title landmark was discovered.

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Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011; Canada, USA, France, Germany, UK). Produced by Andrea Anderson, Randall M. Boyd, Amy Briamonte, Adrianne Ciuffo, Phil Fairclough, Dave Harding, Julian Hobbs, Tabitha Jackson, David McKillop, Erik Nelson, Molly Thompson, Judith Thurman, Alain Zenou, and Nicolas Zunino. Directed and written for the screen by Werner Herzog. Featuring Werner Herzog, Dominique Baffier, Jean Clottes, Jean-Michel Geneste, Carole Fritz, Gilles Tosello, Michel Philippe, Julien Monney, Nicolas Conard, and Wulf Hein. Distributed by IFC Films. Not Rated, with a running time of 90 minutes.