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Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980)
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
Spoiler Alert! In this film, Werner Herzog eats his shoe. Sort of. The act of eating is never depicted itself, instead brief clips from The Gold Rush are used whenever he takes a bite. This isn't just a goofy comic gimmick, though. Despite its non-serious tone, the film is actually really philosophical. It deals with Herzog himself better than any film I've seen so far, and it really lets you into his psyche. At one point, Herzog insists that being a filmmaker has transformed him into a "clown", and this film makes a pretty compelling case for his argument. He describes one incident when he threw himself into a cactus as fulfillment of a comment he made when little people were catching on fire, which is almost a three stooges-esque act of physical comedy. Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe also makes Herzog's intentions quite clear. Anyone who knows anything about the making of Aguirre, The Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo will realize that he's willing to make other suffer for his art, but this film proves that he is willing to suffer too. He claims that the promise to eat his shoe is what inspired his friend to make a film, and this may or may not be an exaggeration, but the point is that Herzog is totally willing to do anything for the sake of film, even when it means inflicting physical pain upon himself and others. Sure, this is a funny movie built around an absurd premise, but I think there's also a really deep layer of deconstruction beneath the surface value.
The General (1926)
The General
The General is not a great comedy- it's just a great movie with a few funny parts thrown in. One of the reasons why this film received poor critical reception when it was released was because the critics were expecting a comedy, not some 100 minute-long epic movie about the civil war. Of course, like all Keaton movies the gags are great. My personal favorite comes right at the beginning, when the guy puts on his hat as though he is going to leave the building and the two children exit immediately, just before he shuts the door.
The General wasn't really like some of the other silent films I have seen- it seems more like a modern talkie stripped of its sound. It never goes over-the-top like the pictures of Chaplin and Lloyd and even most of Keaton's other movies. It never tries too hard to remind the audience how good it is, which is just perfect. Whereas a good movie constantly reminds you of its quality, a great movie allows it to go unnoticed until after the end.