Cave of Forgotten Dreams

"Humanity's Lost Masterpiece... in 3D"

2010 1h 30m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 371

Documentary

Synopsis

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Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting.

“Humanity's Lost Masterpiece... in 3D”

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Cast

Werner Herzog
Narrator (voice)
Dominique Baffier
Self
Jean Clottes
Self
Jean-Michel Geneste
Self
Michel Philippe
Self
Gilles Tosello
Self
Carole Fritz
Self
Maria Malina
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Werner Herzog
Writers: Werner Herzog, Judith Thurman
Languages: German, French, English
Countries: Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Peter Zeitlinger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ernst Reijseger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joe Bini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Werner Herzog directs. Peter Zeitlinger behind the camera. Ernst Reijseger scores. Joe Bini cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in German, French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 16 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, French, English.
4International production across 5 countries: Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Werner Herzog, shot by Peter Zeitlinger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Ernst Reijseger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Joe Bini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Werner Herzog and Dominique Baffier and Jean Clottes carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Humanity's Lost Masterpiece... in 3D".
11IMDB entry: tt1664894 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Zeitlinger
Original score: Ernst Reijseger
Editing: Joe Bini
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $6,467,348
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

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Werner Herzog

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Matt Golden2013-07-21
There is little preamble to Cave of Forgotten Dreams. No attempt to graft a larger narrative (indeed, a narrative at all) on the picture, no lengthy introductions of the cast of scientists, archaeologists, and filmmakers with whom you'll spend the next hour and a half. The credits are quick and unadorned, and over them, the unique and unmistakable voice of director Werner Herzog intones, in his inimitable manner, the discovery of Chauvet Cave of southern France. The story is straightforward: a group exploring the area came across the cave, which had been long closed off from a rockslide. They cleared away the rocks and entered, finding the most astonishing collection of cave paintings known to man, more than twice the age of any other and perfectly preserved. The French government protects the cave in earnest, lest it be damaged, and dangerously high levels of radon and carbon dioxide would kill any who visit too long. Were it not for the renown of documentarian and filmmaker Herzog, the French government would likely never have let a film crew into the cave. What a sorrow that would have been! This film, particularly in its 3D exhibition, is an astounding, moving experience that is wholly unique and an incredible watch for anyone. It's utterly astonishing to view these beautiful, sophisticated paintings, made over 32,000 years ago, to see the contours and the ecstatic play of light and shadow over the curves of the rocks. I've long been ambivalent about the uses of 3D cinematography, but I have seen two films this year alone that have convinced me utterly that though it's not often handled well, it can be an invaluable tool in the hands of a talented filmmaker who uses it purposefully (the other, by the way, is Martin Scorsese's rapturous Hugo). This film is truly an experience, one unlike any other I've seen. The beauty, the history, the humanness of the cave paintings, their incredibly artistry, is unmistakable and undeniable. A scientist in the film talks about how, after being in the cave, he began to dream of the lions, horses, and other beasts depicted on the walls. Seeing these paintings in this incredible environment, realizing that this may very well have been the birth of art...it is unimaginably moving. This is where the magic of cinema comes into play. For how does one apply critical thought to a film such as this? There's little narration, as the experience of viewing the cave (particularly in 3D) conveys far more than mere words could express. Herzog, whose dulcet German tones always seem to contain an infinite depth of grief, wisely keeps the chatter to a minimum, only cropping up for an explanation of what we are seeing, as well as to offer cryptic musings on the meanings of it all. It has no narrative drive, no sense of story to tell. Its cinematography can occasionally veer into the problematic (namely, heavy doses of graininess due to shooting in the dark); the first third of the film is shot with a nonprofessional handheld camera, as it was the first time in which they entered the cave. Is it instead to be judged on the merits of its subject? I suppose so, for rarely will you find a subject as compelling and wonderful as this. And within this cave, Herzog has found things even rarer: a spirituality that is palpable, a common human need for expression, and a voice unfettered by time and space.

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