Woyzeck

Georg Büchner's Woyzeck is set in the early 19th century and is about the soldier Woyzeck, who does everything in his power to provide for his sweetheart Marie and their child. It is no easy task, however. To earn a little extra, he makes himself available for medical experiments by the doctor, who treats him like dirt. So does the captain he serves under. When Marie on top of everything starts being unfaithful to him, it is the last straw.

Werner Herzog is quite faithful to the play, but his storytelling is deadly dull, and he in no way exploits the strengths of the film medium. The camera is held in demonstratively long takes that seem clumsy and amateurish. The result is that the film is drained of drama and momentum. Klaus Kinski, with his intense, indeed almost wild eyes, is no bad Woyzeck, but on his own he cannot make it possible for the viewer to empathise and engage.