I'll tell you why so serious

Don't Believe the Hype

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Werner Herzog is a living legend in my opinion and this film explains why. He is willing to go to the edge of the world to find meaning and purpose- and he finds them in people, geographical objects and even penguins. Herzog goes to a base camp in Antarctica to learn about the inhabitants and why they are there. We learn about the kind of people and the kind of mindset they possess. But this isn't just a point and shoot interview. Featuring gorgeous but humbling vistas of the ice sheets and barren white land there is a poetic quality to the work. A scene featuring a lone penguin walking to its impending doom reeks of existentialist pain. This is a fantastic documentary by the amazing Werner Herzog.

To begin with, it is my belief that this is one of the few documentaries that not only presents you information but is there to teach you something without you even noticing the whole process of scientific explanations being delivered and philosophical ideas being expounded. It is interesting how naturally the documentary combines the 'place' with the 'people' even if in the first place it didn't seem natural to find such people in such a place. Moreover the life stories of the scientists and researchers are nevertheless fascinating giving you a introspection into the bizarre 'end of the world' and its profound meanings to them and to us.

This movie is not your typical type of environmentalist documentaries focused around the earth's beauty and or the circle of life. Indeed, filmmaker Werner Herzog makes it a point to state his disinterest in making "another film about penguins". The key word in the title is not the 'End' of the world, but the 'encounters' at the end of it. Herzog documents his journey to Antarctica where he delves into the lives of the inhabitants on the continent. The focuses of the film are the eccentric characters present amidst the harsh climactic conditions, their stories, and the passion that drives them through their oddly surreal lifestyle. However this is not to say that the documentary does not document the environment and nature in Antarctica. In fact, contrary to Herzog's statement, the filmmaker does question an expert about penguins and their antics. The film is a hypnotic and serenely beautiful take on what life is like down in Antarctica and achingly calls out to the humanity and spirituality of the viewer.

I rarely give an 8 to a film. This one deserves it. Herzog has managed to make an intelligent--yes that is the right word survey of the human endeavor in Antarctica.It is foremost a movie about people most of them are interesting especially the low key ones like the philosopher. There are however plenty of ego flaunting obnoxious ones like the woman "who traveled across Africa in a garbage truck". Unfortunately places like Antarctica attract and bring out that crowd of people--ones seeking some kind of identity through the "zaniness" of their experiences including of course being in Antarctica.Herzog subtly cuts them off at the knees when deserved such as saying we were glad to get out of McMurdo after an interview with someone claiming how important an ice cream machine was.Watch it you will like it.