Stroszek (1977)

 Werner Herzog's "Stroszek"

When one first ventures into the filmography of famed German filmmaker Werner Herzog, there are many films that pop out as 'iconic' or even 'notable.' However, sitting down to watch his 1977 film "Stroszek" was the first time I had ever heard of the film. The tragedy of this is that it should be more widely considered as one of his best work.

It centers on Bruno, an alcoholic street performer down on his luck in West Berlin. After receiving harsh treatment, he is convinced by his prostitute friend Eva to move to America. Bruno's elderly neighbor reaches out to his family member to find them places to live and work. After the three of them move to Wisconsin, they buy a trailer house and start a new life. However, Bruno begins to regret this decision over time.

I am unsure is this was intentional of Herzog's part, but I found the film to be about the myth of the American dream. Clearly, the foundational structure of the story centers around the ensemble moving from the harsh coldness of West Germany to the sunny, breezy plains of America. Unlike in West Germany, they receive no harsh treatment. However, as Bruno notes later in the film, the harshness in America is much worse because it's all mental harshness.

As the American dream begins to whittle down for our characters, Herzog does an exemplary job of framing his subjects within this theme. The landscapes and scenery are beautiful, but in the hands of Herzog, they denote a wasteland where dreams go to die. There is so much emotion to certain shots, that I felt really taken aback by how connected I felt to certain images. I think this is perhaps the most beautifully shot film I've seen by Herzog up until this point in his career.

I think the reason this story works so well is because of its simplicity. I feel that with such simplicity, one can surmise far more complexities to what its expressing than with something that is trying to jump through hoops to express something. With "Stroszek," you simply fall in love with the characters, especially Bruno. With that, the events that unfold before them shape the narrative understanding of the film's tragedy.

I found "Stroszek" to be a completely rewarding experience in every way. It may not be Herzog's most notable film in his filmography, but it's something that particularly stuck with me. I'm unsure if I'm simply biased because of its connections to American iconography, environment, and theme, but it seemed to hit really close to home for me.