13/25
Werner Herzog presents a documentary about the French volcanologist couple Katia and Maurice Krafft
Story
Maurice and Katia Krafft dedicated their lives to exploring the world’s volcanoes. Their legacy consists of groundbreaking images of eruptions and their aftermath, composed into this visually stunning collage. I had never heard of this couple and suddenly they have two documentaries in short succession.
It’s fascinating to watch them back-to-back and compare them
Herzog has the name and the pedigree, but the other film has the Oscar nomination. Herzog is almost exclusively using footage shot by the couple. I notice the classic footage of the Mount St.
I’m sure there are other, non-Krafft footage to fill out the story
Helens explosion. It’s very compelling that Herzog tells us they are about to die on that Japanese mountain at the beginning of the film. It’s like introducing the dead body at the beginning of a murder mystery film.
He’s the one pontificating
Both documentaries use the couple’s stunning footage, but their voices are missing in this one. It’s all Herzog’s narration, as in most of his films. Throughout the film, I was left wanting to hear the couple’s voices or at least their words.
That’s the main difference
This is more like a tribute delivered at a funeral and that may be the intention. I just have a better sense of the couple from the other film.
