In recent years Stroszek has become infamous for being the last film Ian Curtis of post-punk pioneer's Joy Division saw before hanging himself. The image of the dancing chicken has become synonymous with the final hours of Curtis' life. It's, therefore, a movie associated with real life sadness. The content of Stroszek makes for pretty depressing viewing itself it has to be said. Although, admittedly, the downbeat story is interspersed with moments of humour throughout, meaning that its impact isn't entirely doom-laden. It centres on a mental patient from Berlin who is released into the community. He and his prostitute girlfriend are victimised by low-fife pimps, so it is with some relief when their elderly neighbour organises for the three of them to move to the U.S.A. to start a new life. But despite a promising start, life soon degenerates to even worse levels in their new home in rural Wisconsin and their American Dream soon turns into a nightmare.
This film was directed by Werner Herzog and, as is usually the case, this ensures that it's a fascinating look at unusual people living on the fringes of society. Its star is Bruno S. who is most famous for his portrayal of the title character in Herzog's The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. In Stroszek he again plays the title character but in this one he is playing a character very close to himself, a street musician with a history of mental problems. We even get to hear an example of his music, which is very strange indeed. He is a very unique performer and it never really ever appears that he is acting at all; his unaffected style is just as perfect for his character here as it was in Kaspar Hauser. Eva Mattes, who also worked with Herzog in Woyzeck, plays his girlfriend and Clemens Scheitz rounds things off as his elderly neighbour; both of these actors are also very good.
The story is about how the American Dream is a false hope for most. The three protagonists move from a gloomy Berlin but end up in the desolate town of Railroad Flats, a joyless decrepit place with poor impoverished people. Incidentally, the town's real name is Plainfield and it is most notorious as the hometown of the serial killer Ed Gein the inspiration for Psycho. Herzog in fact first went there to work on a documentary on Gein but ended up being inspired by the desolation of the place to make this film instead. The characters in Stroszek not only live in this place but, to make matters even more depressing, end up living in a prefabricated trailer which they ultimately lose due to being unable to keep up the loan payments. The disadvantageous nature of the place in general, coupled with the language barrier conspires to work against Stroszek, not helped by his strange natural bearing. It ultimately leads to his tragic downfall. The ending is pretty bleak it almost goes without saying. Although, we get there in ways that provide some absurd comedy moments, such as the armed robbery that Stroszek and his elderly friend attempt. They try to rob the bank but find it closed, so they rob a small shop next door instead and come away with only thirty dollars, only to then go and spend it across the road on groceries and unsurprisingly get arrested in the process. Similarly, when the dark ending comes, the mood is lifted somewhat by the bizarre scenes of the performing animals in the little arcade – we have a rabbit fireman, a piano playing chicken and the aforementioned dancing chicken. It's a pretty weird and funny way to end proceedings. It emphasises the point of the film though - the absurdity of life. But another underlying message is the way in which humans carry on despite the seemingly insurmountable odds. This point is reiterated by a quietly, unique scene where a physician friend shows Stroszek a prematurely born baby that grips on to his hands so tightly it can be lifted into the air - the survival instinct is inbuilt. These are some of the many things of interest in this unusual movie.
This film was directed by Werner Herzog and, as is usually the case, this ensures that it's a fascinating look at unusual people living on the fringes of society. Its star is Bruno S. who is most famous for his portrayal of the title character in Herzog's The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser. In Stroszek he again plays the title character but in this one he is playing a character very close to himself, a street musician with a history of mental problems. We even get to hear an example of his music, which is very strange indeed. He is a very unique performer and it never really ever appears that he is acting at all; his unaffected style is just as perfect for his character here as it was in Kaspar Hauser. Eva Mattes, who also worked with Herzog in Woyzeck, plays his girlfriend and Clemens Scheitz rounds things off as his elderly neighbour; both of these actors are also very good.
The story is about how the American Dream is a false hope for most. The three protagonists move from a gloomy Berlin but end up in the desolate town of Railroad Flats, a joyless decrepit place with poor impoverished people. Incidentally, the town's real name is Plainfield and it is most notorious as the hometown of the serial killer Ed Gein the inspiration for Psycho. Herzog in fact first went there to work on a documentary on Gein but ended up being inspired by the desolation of the place to make this film instead. The characters in Stroszek not only live in this place but, to make matters even more depressing, end up living in a prefabricated trailer which they ultimately lose due to being unable to keep up the loan payments. The disadvantageous nature of the place in general, coupled with the language barrier conspires to work against Stroszek, not helped by his strange natural bearing. It ultimately leads to his tragic downfall. The ending is pretty bleak it almost goes without saying. Although, we get there in ways that provide some absurd comedy moments, such as the armed robbery that Stroszek and his elderly friend attempt. They try to rob the bank but find it closed, so they rob a small shop next door instead and come away with only thirty dollars, only to then go and spend it across the road on groceries and unsurprisingly get arrested in the process. Similarly, when the dark ending comes, the mood is lifted somewhat by the bizarre scenes of the performing animals in the little arcade – we have a rabbit fireman, a piano playing chicken and the aforementioned dancing chicken. It's a pretty weird and funny way to end proceedings. It emphasises the point of the film though - the absurdity of life. But another underlying message is the way in which humans carry on despite the seemingly insurmountable odds. This point is reiterated by a quietly, unique scene where a physician friend shows Stroszek a prematurely born baby that grips on to his hands so tightly it can be lifted into the air - the survival instinct is inbuilt. These are some of the many things of interest in this unusual movie.