Even Dwarfs Started Small

Goodness is dead, long live the dwarves! Herzog’s vision had a bigger effect on me than most other films, but I still refuse to give it a higher rating. This film almost killed me. It’s an incredibly depressive and wretched look at something that maybe represents humanity. Is the handicap of all the characters only a means to generate a more oppressive atmosphere or a belief that we are all like that? Dwarves that are handicapped – not physically but mentally. If the characters were “normal”, could we take the film as a celebration of the struggle for independence against an oppressor, instead of monsters attacking a defenceless caretaker? Depends on your point of view, and on what would be more agreeable to you. The film is not bad or stupid, but I can’t forgive what it made me go through while watching it. (11/02/2010)