"Encounters at the End of the World," Werner Herzog's first documentary since "Grizzly Man" chronicles the lives of scientists living in the far reaches of Antarctica at McMurdo Station. The desolate community, resembling a mining town, is populated with an odd assortment of top researchers and those who are dubbed "Ph.Ds washing dishes."
Set to a soundtrack of Gregorian chants and haunting strings, Herzog's cinematographer captures the wonders of this foreign land with simple beauty that resonates to the atmosphere. Snowy landscapes of incomprehensible magnitudes extend in all directions. Under the ice, creatures reminiscent of '50s sci-fi films thrive in the frigid waters and co-exist with microscopic organisms newly-discovered on a near daily basis.
And then there are the penguins, the cinematically-famous animals which Herzog explicitly dismisses as intended subjects of his film. Keeping exposure to a minimum, the film instead features a purely comic and tragic side of the birds. At different times, a lone penguin breaks from his group and runs off in a separate direction to face a guaranteed death. The determination of each confused little fellow is baffling itself, and even though the scientists witness the strange behavior, their rule is not to interfere with the animal's actions.
Herzog's narration is quirky and inquisitive, the perfect balance of an informed yet curious stranger on the ice continent. As he meets the cast of characters comprising the unique ensemble, Herzog confronts people so dedicated to their work that little exists but their studies. Casual conversation quickly falls into silence and the filmmaker's struggle to continue the dialogue makes for quality uncomfortable humor.
Ideal for an IMAX theatre, "Encounters at the End of the World" is slow to build but absolutely sings with each captivating look at this bizarrely wonderful look at nature.