Director Werner Herzog takes the viewer
on a cinematic journey as he follows an expedition into the well protected Chauvet Cave in France. In the caves are cave paintings that are 30,0000 years old. CAVES OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS is cinematic transcendent
poetry as Herzog ponders the meanings of the cave paintings and how they tie into the symbolic nature of art through the ages, This documentary mixes a trip into the caves and interviews with various experts
on the caves and anthropologists. The
French guard access to the caves and allow limited entry as they try to preserve this uncovered treasure that was blocked
off by a landslide centuries ago. They allow access for a few hours at
a time as long as you walk on two foot wide walkways and wear sterilized boots.
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS is a
fascinating poetic look at an uncovered part of the past. With the way
Herzog does a film and with the haunting (and yet beautiful) score, I wonder what an adaptation of SOLARIS would b elike if
Werner Herzog directed it.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The theatrical trailer is on this disc
in addition to ODE TO THE DAWN OF MAN- a 39 minute short film by Werner Herzog on the recording of the film's music (by frequent
music collaborator Ernest Reijseger) in a church (in the Netherlands). I wish this short film was shorter.
FINAL ANALYSIS: No one does documentaries like Herzog. CAVE
OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS is a poetic cinematic trip into the past.
this DVD review is (c)12-25-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com
