How do you really describe a movie by Werner Herzog? His films speak so powerfully that any attempt at discussion seems feeble. Especially with a film like this one from 1968, “Last Words”, shot in two days during the filming of “Signs of Life”.

Words…is this it? The word to end all words? Those are the last words I’ll write. Except for the ones I just said. And those. These are the last ones, I swear. Except these. And these. And these and these. * * * * *

Well, here it is. Werner Herzog’s first film. “Herakles”, shot in 1962, was a sort of apprenticeship for Herzog. He made this film in lieu of going to film school, even if he knew the film itself wasn’t very important. You can tell that it’s more of an exercise in technique than a serious cinematic effort. But apparently it was essential for him. And nonetheless, there are brief flashes of wonder in this short Herculean chronicle that leave me not at all surprised that this magnificent man went on to become one of the greatest of directors. * * * * *

I have mixed feelings about the films of the French New Wave, especially those of Godard. While I can’t deny it’s appeal, innovative as it is, “Vivre Sa Vie” seems strangely empty. The characters in Godard’s films just talk and talk and talk. On and on. About nothing in particular. “What the heck are they talking about?” I keep asking myself. Maybe it’s just that I prefer more quiet and sparse films like Herzog’s “Heart of Glass” or Godfrey Reggio’s “Koyaanisqatsi”. I dunno. 

Anyway, this 1962 film does hold some value, and is worth seeing if you’re into analyzing film technique and style, cinematic history, or pretty people. With Monsieur Godard, style abounds. * * * * 

Wim Wenders’ “The American Friend” reveals the fascination and admiration that the director has for American crime/noir cinema. At the same time, the film reveals what Wenders dislikes about those genres. He adapts Hollywood themes into an intellectual German New Wave film, and adds some heavy visuals which transforms a typical American crime drama into an art film. I also like this film for it’s ambition and excellent acting. * * * *

I became a fan of Jean Renoir during the opening sequences of his earlier “Boudu Saved From Drowning”. His films invariably have a not-so-subtle political agenda, but his lead characters are usually so charming and relatable that you barely notice. Released in the same year as the film in my last review, Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Plainsman”, Renoir’s “The Crime of Monsieur Lange” illustrates the polarized ideas of two very different (although allied in war) nations. 

Monsieur Lange dreams of the American west, writing a popular serial he calls “Arizona Jim”. To him, the west is a land of freedom, where every man stands on his own two feet and doesn’t cower beneath the oppressive force of any power-hungry capitalist. But when Monsieur Lange does good, as his hope and his confidence grows, his acts turn innocently violent. Can an act be innocently violent? If the motivation is justified? What exactly is a crime? I believe these are some of the things Monsieur Renoir is asking with this film. * * * *

Cecil B. DeMille’s 1936 “The Plainsman” is repulsive in attitude and ethics. It reeks of blandness and inanity. It seems that the producers and writers of this movie went to extraordinary lengths to ridicule the American public. Hollow. The only thing the film may have going for it is some spectacular images. * *

Although not quite as good as the film that it’s paired with on DVD, the Lewton-produced “The Body Snatcher” offered some nicely shadowed streets and characters. I liked Boris Karloff. Released just before the end of WWII. * * * *

“I Walked with a Zombie” is another Val Lewton/Jacques Tourneur success. With sufficient depth of atmosphere, creative storytelling, and some actually eerie moments, this film deserves a noble rank in the hierarchy of zombie films. * * * *

A rather fanciful look at German upper-class society in the late 1910s, Ernst Lubitsch’s “The Oyster Princess” was barely likable for me. I guess I did sense some of the burgeoning “Lubitsch Touch”, however. * * *

Roger Spottiswoode’s 1994 “Mesmer” is a little confusing, but to me this was a reflection of the differing present-day attitudes towards Anton Mesmer. His major theory of “animal magnetism” still seems to be little understood. Is it sexual? Is it divine? Electromagnetic? The film’s sequences are linked rather loosely, and Alan Rickman’s acting can be a little cheesy, but I found the overall style to be interesting and well suited to the subject matter. * * * *