Anchor
Bay | Review by Dan Taylor
In
the history of filmmaking, no director-star
combo has had a more fascinating, combustible
and productive relationship than Werner
Herzog and the one, the only Klaus Kinski.
The duo made five films together over the
course of two decades, starting with the
hypnotic AGUIRRE:
THE WRATH OF GOD (1972) and ending with
the psychotic COBRA VERDE (1988). But let's
not forget the stops along the way to redefine
Dracula and torture themselves – and
everybody else – in the Amazon (1982's
FITZCARRALDO).
However, for two artists that
seemed to feed off each other, their public
feuding was the stuff of legend. Both accused
the other of attempted murder while Kinski
used his
infamous autobiography to wish "the
murderer Herzog" would have ants "piss
in his eyes, eat his balls, penetrate his
asshole, and eat his guts."
Watch MY BEST FIEND –
Herzog's sometimes dull as dishwater, sometimes
totally fascinating look at his relationship
with Kinski – and I guarantee you'll
be left scratching your head, not only about
their relationship but about the two men
at its core.
Over the course of 100 minutes,
the director manages to float the idea that
he and Klaus collaborated on the venomous
anti-Herzog passages in the autobiography,
while also confessing that he stopped short
of firebombing the German Olivier's house.
There's also plenty of on-set
footage that portrays the spirited actor
as a raving lunatic, but the flick ends
with a shot of a calm, at peace Kinski playing
with a butterfly. So, which portrayal of
the actor is right? Probably a bit of both,
but one wishes that he were still around
to stick up for himself.
Oh, for another director's
view of the always-volatile Kinski, check
out the short PLEASE KILL MR. KINSKI on
the BEST OF TROMADANCE VOL. 1 DVD. It's
only eight minutes long, but goes a long
way towards supporting every
crazy story you've ever heard about
K2.
