Screen Shrapnel, the Wrath of Klod

screen shrapnel, the wrath of klod

“Ecstatic truth. I've always tried to strive for a much deeper truth in the images, in cinema, in storytelling, on a screen, so whether I've achieved it or not remains to be seen. . . . There are short fleeting moments when I know that I have achieved it. And to work for that and to strive for it and to try, gives at least some dignity and some meaning to my existence.”

-Werner Herzog, from "Herzog on Herzog"

After gorging on the bland characters and cliched plots of the summer blockbuster last week we delve into the far more nourishing cinema of Werner Herzog, director of German New Wave classics “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” and “The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser”. The Bavarian maverick’s latests search for aesthetic truth, “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?”, sees him teaming up with Michael Shannon, an actor who can give Herzog regulars Klaus Kinski and Nic Cage a run for their money in the wild-eyed lunacy stakes, for a tale of matricide and madness. Graham and Jamie also look back across Herzog’s prolific career to pick their three personal favourites of his films.

Oedipal themes and borderline personality disorders are also present in “Cyrus”, mumblecore movement directors Jay and Mark Duplass’ major step towards the mainstream. Jonha Hill plays the titular momma’s boy weirdo who starts a battle of wits with his single mother’s (Marisa Tomei) new suitor John (John C. Reilly). The three leads are outstanding, but how is the film as a whole? Have a listen to find out.

Also on this week’s show, we introduce two new features: Dirty Little Secret and Something for the Weekend. Neither are as sexy as their risque titles suggest.

Posted at 17:17, 18th September 2010