Signs of Life

Werner Herzog, West Germany, 1968, 90 minutes

Herzog's "quest for images", as he had confeesed in Wim Wenders' Tokyo Ga starts from the isolated island of Kos in Greece, where during WW II, a group of German soldiers is left to guard a munition depot. One of them, Stroszek (Peter Brogle), while trying to adapt to this wholly alien environment, descends into madness.

The first feature by Herzog, this is indeed a bizarre but beautiful exploration of man's capacity to transcend himself and its natural environment with Stroszek as the contemporary Prometheus who dares to insult the gods. The reduction of universal meaning to the fortuitous significance of the individual act acquires in Signs of Life its most palpable manifestation. With scenes reminiscent of Primitive man's confrontation with nature, Herzog inverts the serene beauty of nature, and examines its raw power. The director's passion tor the unexplained and irrational is clearly displayed with Stroszek trying to hypnotize a chicken, a story of a submarine which sinks because the crew is captivated by the fierce sunlight, or, among other scenes, with the soldier frantically firing shots at the sun.

Signs of Life deals with the irrational element of life perhaps more than any other film. With unique performances led by Peter Brogle and Athina Zacharopoulou and with music by Xarchakos, it has often appeared in all-time best films lists. Herzog fans will love it and it's strongly recommended fbr all those accustomed to unconventional cinema. Watch-out for Herzog as one of the soldiers!

Review by Spiros Gangas
Taken from EUFS Programme 1992-93