Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Matthew S

  
  More than "art appreciation," Cave of Forgotten Dreams aims to meditate on the possible birthplace of what makes you and I mentally unique in the animal kingdom. Herzog has a beautiful opportunity to show what 30,000 years looks like through the development of stalactites… More
  More than "art appreciation," Cave of Forgotten Dreams aims to meditate on the possible birthplace of what makes you and I mentally unique in the animal kingdom. Herzog has a beautiful opportunity to show what 30,000 years looks like through the development of stalactites and stalagmites layered over ancient bones and footprints. He states at the very beginning that the drawings on this cave are twice as old as the next oldest known drawings. We would expect them to be primitive, but they are far, far from it. We see the emotions of the animals, we see their movements, their breath. We see a legendary myth still alive today. Our abilities to think abstractly, focus, and document our experience are all present here -- all necessary to create our sense of presence and spirituality.

• Melvin W

  
  "Mankind's Lost Masterpiece" Cave of Forgotten Dreams is only the second Herzog documentary I have seen; the other being Encounters at the End of the World. Both of which have taken me to a place where I can only dream of going, and have done so with magnificent… More
  "Mankind's Lost Masterpiece" Cave of Forgotten Dreams is only the second Herzog documentary I have seen; the other being Encounters at the End of the World. Both of which have taken me to a place where I can only dream of going, and have done so with magnificent beauty. That's what this film is all about. Everyone who has complained about Herzog not answering or even asking a lot of questions, is missing the point. This isn't about answers because there really aren't any. Everything about how those paintings came to exist is purely speculation. We can't be transported back tens of thousands of years ago. What it is about is transporting us to a beautiful place that we will never be able to visit and to show us the enormity of human existence. To think about the time between when these paintings were created, relative to where we are now is mind blowing; at least to me anyway. Herzog does everything right because he lets the cave paintings do the talking. His narration isn't there to give us countless facts about what we are seeing, but is there to show an admiration for what we are seeing. He almost lyrically embraces every painting we see, in such a beautiful way. Then he'll just stop talking, play music, and show us the paintings because that's what we are watching for.  Making guesses as to how these paintings were made and by whom is just not important, and is really below Herzog. The enormity of what we are looking at wouldn't come across if all he was doing was asking experts their opinions as to a variety of pointless questions. No, this movie is all about the silence. I especially enjoyed the part where he told everyone in the cave to be quiet and just filmed the silence in the cave. These paintings have existed for thousands and thousands of years without anyone even knowing it. They existed in silence, yet they still existed. I love how he brings us back to this moment at the end with the heartbeats.  If this bores you, I really do feel sorry for you, because you would have to be so out of touch with the human soul that Herzog talks about, to not be completely moved by it. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a one of a kind film that only Herzog could make.  In many ways, this film is almost too breathtaking to describe. To describe its beauty in a way that is respectful is damn near impossible. 

• danny d

  
  this is a low score for a film i actually really enjoyed, but since i saw it i cant stop thinking about all of the questions i have that were never answered or even addressed. the cave is fascinating, and much of the material was solid, but it could have either been 30 minutes… More
  this is a low score for a film i actually really enjoyed, but since i saw it i cant stop thinking about all of the questions i have that were never answered or even addressed. the cave is fascinating, and much of the material was solid, but it could have either been 30 minutes shorter or covered more. i do think herzog made some wonderful decisions on the balance between interviews and actual cave footage as this may be the only footage any of us get to see, so more footage and less interviewing was a good call.

• Dan S

  
  A rich, well organized historical study by expert documentary film-maker Werner Herzog, in which he investigates some of the most prehistoric caves recorded by mankind, and the art inscribed in these very special and protected places. One has to have an appreciation for our roots to… More
  A rich, well organized historical study by expert documentary film-maker Werner Herzog, in which he investigates some of the most prehistoric caves recorded by mankind, and the art inscribed in these very special and protected places. One has to have an appreciation for our roots to truly be interested and fall in love with this movie. Herzog's narration and energy is infectious, and it carries well over to this particular project, which is in turn incredible and monumental when one considers how hard it is to get into these particular caves. It moves slow for a movie that is an hour and a half long, but it is truly a special journey that Herzog crafts ever so well.

• Anthony L

  
  No one makes a documentary like Werner Herzog. I'm a fan. Listening to his voice alone is enough to hypnotise me but so as to give this film a fair rating, I shall put that to one side. First off, I knew nothing of this cave, it's existence or discovery. That really… More
  No one makes a documentary like Werner Herzog. I'm a fan. Listening to his voice alone is enough to hypnotise me but so as to give this film a fair rating, I shall put that to one side. First off, I knew nothing of this cave, it's existence or discovery. That really surprised me, as I'm into my art, history and art history, so thank you Mr. Herzog for that. To be honest, even if I had seen it on a typical history channel/channel 4 hour long documentary, I probably would have missed or forgotten it because as well as the detail and facts involved, you also always get a poetic and human perspective from Werner that no one else even tries to achieve. It's not just the cave paintings themselves that are explored but the other details within the cave that I found fascinating. This could have been your average boring 'School lesson' documentary but what Herzog gives us is quite a profound insight into our own existence and what we are, what we've come from and what we will become. When did you last hear anyone ask 'When was the birth of the human soul' or 'Will albino crocodiles ever make it to the caves and wonder what they mean'? You've got to love Werner.

• Greg S

  
  This Werner Herzog documentary is the only place you can see the oldest artwork in the world, the 20,000 year old Cro-Magnon paintings of Chauvet Cave, discovered in 1994 and of such historical importance that only the world's top scientists and archeologists had previously been… More
  This Werner Herzog documentary is the only place you can see the oldest artwork in the world, the 20,000 year old Cro-Magnon paintings of Chauvet Cave, discovered in 1994 and of such historical importance that only the world's top scientists and archeologists had previously been granted access. It's both important, and interesting. Originally in 3-D, which must have been awe-inspiring, but the impressive paintings, fossilized cave-bear skulls and stalagmites are still riveting flat. It wouldn't be a Herzog work without the head-scratching epilogue that muses about whether we, too, are albino alligators.

• Mark R

  
  Consider the length of a human life, and all of the achievements one is likely to witness in that time. Start small: your own achievements, be they academic, athletic, romantic. Now think a little larger, to the achievements of people you know. Continue to expand to your… More
  Consider the length of a human life, and all of the achievements one is likely to witness in that time. Start small: your own achievements, be they academic, athletic, romantic. Now think a little larger, to the achievements of people you know. Continue to expand to your neighbourhood, city, nation, and, ultimately the world as a whole. How many of our supposedly wondrous accomplishments are truly significant? What will future historians remember about early twentieth century humankind? Will anything be remembered in 1,000 years? 10,000? Is it possible that 30,000 years from now, discoveries will continue to be made about us? Such questions likely never occurred to Eliette Brunel-Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet in 1994 as they descended into what would soon be named Chauvet Cave in the south of France. What they found inside, perhaps the most important cultural artifact in human history, is the subject of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the latest film from celebrated director Werner Herzog. As Herzog explains through voice-over (in his typical, gravitas filled fashion), upon the discovery of dozens of magnificent cave paintings dating back approximately 32,000 years, twice as ancient as any previously discovered cave art, the French government placed the cave in lock down in the interests of preservation, and rightfully so. However, because of the intense security of the site, itâ(TM)s likely that the majority of people are all but totally unaware of the caveâ(TM)s existence. Herzog clearly wishes to change that, and for Cave of Forgotten Dreams the eclectic filmmaker gained unprecedented access to film the interior of Chauvel Cave, in 3-D no less, and the result is a film that will undoubtedly become required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in evolution, ancient history, or (as seems to be most crucial for Herzog), the development of that most unique of human pursuits: the arts. Indeed, to call the cave paintings anything but art is to do them a disservice. Perfectly preserved by a landslide some 20,000 years ago which sealed Chauvel Cave, the paintings are crafted with a remarkable level of skill and precision. Although basic in nature, the anatomy of the menagerie of creatures (bears, rhinoceros, horses and lions to name a few) shows an accuracy that is difficult to comprehend given the massive span of time that has passed since they were created. Herzogâ(TM)s camera lovingly dwells on each piece, really allowing us to see the highly sophisticated level of detail, and, incredibly, to begin to comprehend the unknown artistâ(TM)s process. Itâ(TM)s easy to get swept up into the majesty of the subject matter, yet Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a film that demands attention for another reason, being one of the rare examples of a non-Hollywood 3-D production. And believe me, if you have the opportunity, seeing this film in 3-D is an experience you are unlikely to forget. Understandably, given the difficulties surrounding the location and delicate nature of the subject, the effect is at times a little hit-and-miss, but the moments when it does hit are more eye-popping than any 3-D Hollywood blockbuster in its entirety. The extra dimension displays the texture and contours of the cave walls in a way that only a handful of people have been fortunate enough to see first-hand. Herzog, with characteristic eloquence, discusses the âstaging of landscape as an operatic eventâ?, and uses the technology at his disposal to follow the progression of art works through every bump and crevice. Add in the excellent use of fairly rudimentary lighting and the histrionic, discordant score, and the panels of paintings take on a wonderfully cinematic life of their own. Few filmmakers understand the dramatic potential of documentary filmmaking better than Herzog, and itâ(TM)s hard to imagine any other director filming Chauvet Cave with quite the same level of panache. Cave of Forgotten Dreams simply cannot be recommended highly enough. As an examination of some of mankindâ(TM)s earliest artworks yet discovered, there is nothing more fascinating or comprehensive available, and with the added factor of original and experimental use of 3-D that is actually worth the extra cost of admission, Herzog delivers one of the most uniquely interesting pieces of cinema of the year. tinribs27.wordpress.com

• KJ P

  
  This 3D documentary about the adventures of finding cave drawings, presumably drawn by neanderthal's over 10,000 years ago, is arguably one of the most intriguing films of it's kind. The drawings are that of animals which we would see in our current everyday lives, which is… More
  This 3D documentary about the adventures of finding cave drawings, presumably drawn by neanderthal's over 10,000 years ago, is arguably one of the most intriguing films of it's kind. The drawings are that of animals which we would see in our current everyday lives, which is amazing due to the fact that they were discovered much before any of these animals/creatures existed. The 3D is spectacular and definitely brings you right through the caves with the explorers as they make their fascinating discoveries. I must add that this film feels much longer than it actually is and if you are not interested after the first 30 minutes, then the rest of the film will put you to sleep. That being said, I was interested the entire way through, so it is probably the most boring piece of "masterful cinema" ever made. Everything in this film is beautiful. From the cinematography, to the wise cracks, to the stunning 3D depth, to the editing, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a must see. Simply breathtaking!

• Kalel J

  
  Experiential, majestic, textured cinema of a rare scope. With a full utilisation of 3D and one of the better examples of the use of this new technology, 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' isn't so much a film as it is an experience. Herzog ventures outside of the documentarian… More
  Experiential, majestic, textured cinema of a rare scope. With a full utilisation of 3D and one of the better examples of the use of this new technology, 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' isn't so much a film as it is an experience. Herzog ventures outside of the documentarian norm to capture and transport the viewer into the epic darkness, crystalline passageways and ancient stone formations to connect and understand an ancestry from many millenia past. <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="http://lightsandlessons.com/15-cinematic-surfaces--cave-of-forgotten-dreams" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:underline">&raquo; Full Review Here</a></strong></p>

• c0up  

  
  'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'. An unparalleled, humbling and fascinating look inside the Chauvet Cave and its beautifully detailed 30,000+ year old art, showing how the visual language transcends time.

• Bathsheba M

  
  Wow. Brilliant. This film changed me.

• Jennifer X

  
  I'm not really sure what this documentary was getting at, to be honest. Is it a straightforward Natural History Museum-type informatic about a rare and wondrous cave, with but a few shots of Paleolithic artwork to its name? Or is it saying something larger about the… More
  I'm not really sure what this documentary was getting at, to be honest. Is it a straightforward Natural History Museum-type informatic about a rare and wondrous cave, with but a few shots of Paleolithic artwork to its name? Or is it saying something larger about the evolution/mutation of humanity, of human's basal need for the creation of art and what's more, the pointless search for our roots? I really wanted to love this documentary, for all its characteristic Herzog weirdness: his humor, the circus performer-turned-archaeologist dreaming of lions, the stately curator of Paleolithic art swinging her behind to and fro like some messenger torn down from the deities. But then, the camera lingered over the stupid horses one too many times, I actually had to learn about real ancient art for a change, and suddenly its wobbily constructed reality tumbled down into a Discovery channel-type special. But was that its original point? It's hard to say. For instance, I read in the NYT that Manohla didn't like the albino crocodiles in the nuclear power plant during the film's postscript, but for me, they were the most riveting out of the 90 minutes I was there, in addition to the primitive cries of "They were here!" at the start. I like the concept of repetition for the sake of repetition, for the sake of looking at a group of cave paintings in entirely different ways and perspectives and realizing that they don't actually represent you at all. But, I don't know. It just seemed to falter in a lot of places, like he didn't have enough source material to fill in all the time. Sort of the opposite of "Encounters at the End of the World," where I felt like he could have a bevy of other crazy individuals and animals to interview.

• Nate Z

  
  Only Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn, Grizzly Man) would make a feature-length documentary about doodles on a cave wall. But hold on, those aren't just any doodles. In the recently discovered Chauvet caves in southern France, explorers discovered cave paintings from humankind's… More
  Only Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn, Grizzly Man) would make a feature-length documentary about doodles on a cave wall. But hold on, those aren't just any doodles. In the recently discovered Chauvet caves in southern France, explorers discovered cave paintings from humankind's prehistoric ancestors. The pristine paintings are 30,000 years old, shockingly twice as old as the next oldest cave painting. That means these remarkable displays are the oldest artwork in human history, and a great insight into mankind's beginning; Herzog dubs the cave "the place where the human soul was born." Herzog was given special permission to film inside the cramped cave, and to share the experience he shot with 3-D cameras. The theatrical experience comes alive with the 3-D, watching the rippling contours of the cave walls, finding that our prehistoric artists actually used the topography of the cave intentionally (abstract thought from long ago). The movie itself is a bit dry and Herzog is prone to ramble on melodramatic pontification, but the real star is the art. It reopens our ideas of life 30,000 years prior. The artwork is also far more sophisticated than you may be assuming. Due to the limitations of shooting, Herzog relies on several talking heads to fill us in on historical/archeological contexts, but it's never enough. You hunger for more information that the movie ultimately never dishes. But Herzog has given the world a cultural treat, an artifact to remind us about our shared history and the significance of art to humanity. Nate's Grade: B

• Mark H

  
  Werner Herzog, eccentric legend of the New German Cinema, directs and narrates this documentary about the Chauvet Caves in France. Discovered in 1994 they are home to the oldest drawings in the world today, dating back over 30,000 years ago. In an effort to preserve the archeological… More
  Werner Herzog, eccentric legend of the New German Cinema, directs and narrates this documentary about the Chauvet Caves in France. Discovered in 1994 they are home to the oldest drawings in the world today, dating back over 30,000 years ago. In an effort to preserve the archeological find, the general public are not allowed to enter. The French government has even vigilantly restricted access within the caverns. This then is a rare examination of this historical treasure. The unprecedented look is the film's biggest asset. The documentary has sort of a two faced duality to it. When Herzog is filming inside the caves and allows the natural and manmade wonders to speak for themselves, the presentation is otherworldly and magical. The prehistoric drawings are astonishingly well preserved and surprisingly have a lot of artistic style. The appropriate music underscores their beauty. But unfortunately we're also subjected to talking head interviews of various paleontologists, archaeologists and art experts. By the time a perfume sniffer is imposed on us, the tedium is mind-numbing. The feature was shot in 3-D using special cameras custom built for the production. It's difficult to imagine seeing these artifacts any other way. They capture the tactile feel of the cave, giving life to the glittering wonder from within. I'm convinced that this is the future of 3-D filmmaking. Once its novelty use in fiction has worn off, the necessity of 3-D in documentaries will live on. The process is absolutely essential to appreciating the cave's allure. There is at least 30 minutes of extraordinary footage that beats any informational video seen at your city's Natural History Museum. Note: the film is 90 minutes long.

• Stephen M

  
  I'm ashamed to say that my innate scepticism, coupled with the fact that it is a two-hour round trip to the nearest cinema with a 3D projector, has prevented me from jumping on the bandwagon until now. However, I was particularly keen to see Werner Herzog's film about the… More
  I'm ashamed to say that my innate scepticism, coupled with the fact that it is a two-hour round trip to the nearest cinema with a 3D projector, has prevented me from jumping on the bandwagon until now. However, I was particularly keen to see Werner Herzog's film about the Palaeolithic cave paintings in the Ardèche region of southern France for a couple of reasons: a) this being a documentary rather than a narrative film, I wouldn't have to worry about the third dimension merely being used as a gimmicky substitute for a decent script, etc; and b) as a callow geology undergraduate, I once spent six weeks of a sweltering summer mapping a portion of the Ardèche, so here was an irresistible opportunity for a wistful wallow. I have to say, before <i>The Cave of Forgotten Dreams</i> came along I'd never even considered the potential of 3D for anything other than narrative filmmaking, but having seen Herzog's remarkable film, I'm absolutely convinced the documentary is the format's natural home, perhaps even its saving grace if the novelty wears off again. With something like the Chauvet Cave - a fragile microclimate, hermetically sealed for its own protection and totally off limits to the general public - a documentary recorded by the privileged few on the inside is as close as you and I can reasonably expect to get, and traditionally this lack of access automatically restricts us to two dimensional media: photographs and film. But what Herzog demonstrates so brilliantly here is that the extra dimension is <i>vital</i> to our appreciation of this type of artwork. We can see, perhaps for the first time, how the contours of the cave walls are an absolutely integral part of the art itself; how, far from being a random process, the artists selected their 'canvasses' only after careful deliberation; and how they utilised the uneven surfaces for lighting effects, their flickering torches perhaps creating the illusion that the animals they had painted were moving over the walls. Although he appears in the film, conducts interviews and narrates, it is to Herzog's great credit that he never gets in he way of his subject and generally leaves the paintings to speak for themselves. His 3D setups are typically simple but frequently powerful. As I often find with Herzog, though, I couldn't always make the imaginative leaps he seemed to be expecting of me, but I was swept along by his childlike sense of wonder just the same. The Experimental Archaeologist (I think that was how he was billed), dressed in deerskins and playing <i>The Star-Spangled Banner</i> on a reconstructed vulture-bone flute, didn't make me feel any closer to my Stone Age ancestors; watching the Master Perfumer sniff his way around the cave was about as satisfying as listening to Miss World on the radio; and I'm still scratching my head over the epilogue, which compares modern man to an albino alligator! All in all, though, magical stuff - see it while you can!

• Eric B

  
  Given unprecedented camera access to 30,000-year-old cave paintings, almost anyone could shoot an interesting film. So, it's a given that acclaimed director Werner Herzog -- whose entire career is focused on man's primal relationship with nature -- comes up with the goods.… More
  Given unprecedented camera access to 30,000-year-old cave paintings, almost anyone could shoot an interesting film. So, it's a given that acclaimed director Werner Herzog -- whose entire career is focused on man's primal relationship with nature -- comes up with the goods. And indeed, the paintings found in France's Chauvet Cave are a wonder on multiple levels. That uncivilized man already would put such value on the arts. That the works would display legitimate skill in capturing their subjects (mostly large animals such as lions, bulls and panthers). That these easily identified beasts are so similar to their modern counterparts. That lucky accidents of nature would miraculously preserve these paintings for so long. And even without the artwork, the cave's water-sculpted rock formations are fascinating. Oh, and who would guess that an ancient flute would be able to play in-tune lines from "The Star-Spangled Banner"? This documentary is a mindblower in so many ways. On the other hand, it's not perfect. The sheer quantity of paintings is not boundless, and there's really not enough material to warrant a full-length feature. Even at a mere 89 minutes, the film feels padded with a middle segment about a perfumer who explores other caves and a head-scratching epilogue about albino crocodiles. If the first half is thrilling science porn, then the second half is merely post-sex cuddling.

• Byron B

  
  Unique chance to see this most ancient of art forms from our human past. This is a film well worth seeing in 3D because experiencing the curves of the cave walls and the depths of the caverns makes the experience so much more amazing than viewing the images flat. Add to this the… More
  Unique chance to see this most ancient of art forms from our human past. This is a film well worth seeing in 3D because experiencing the curves of the cave walls and the depths of the caverns makes the experience so much more amazing than viewing the images flat. Add to this the "life" brought to the paintings of the prehistoric animals through flickering light and the expedition becomes quite awe inspiring. Herzog includes some odd talking heads and strange tangents, which take away from the spirit of reverence that most of the film inspires. The man in the fur outfit, the perfume expert, and the albino alligators left me scratching my head in confusion.

• Walter M

  
  On the one hand, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a meditative documentary about the Chauvet Cave which was recently discovered to have cave drawings that go back about 30,000 years. The drawings were preserved by a cave-in and are now preserved by the French authorities,… More
  On the one hand, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a meditative documentary about the Chauvet Cave which was recently discovered to have cave drawings that go back about 30,000 years. The drawings were preserved by a cave-in and are now preserved by the French authorities, granting very limited access to scientists and in this case, Werner Herzog and his film crew. On a different level, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is about what it is like trying to imagine the distant past which despite various clues may well be pretty much unknowable in any detail.(I know Herzog means well but it takes something away from the documentary by awkwardly trying to define these ancient lives in contemporary terms.) What can be inferred is that they were hunter/gatherers and this might have been a point in humanity's development when they first started to wonder about the world around them.(As Herzog asks, is this where the human soul originates?) And extrapolate that forwards from here and imagine what the far future may be like. I for one welcome our albino crocodile overlords.

• Jeffrey M

  
  Herzog tackles yet another fascinating subject, this time focusing on a lost cave, sealed off from time for tens of thousands of years, and home to the oldest known paintings in the world. The way he manages to capture the paintings is incredible, and is combined well with is engaging… More
  Herzog tackles yet another fascinating subject, this time focusing on a lost cave, sealed off from time for tens of thousands of years, and home to the oldest known paintings in the world. The way he manages to capture the paintings is incredible, and is combined well with is engaging narration. At the same time, I do think that Herzog tends to get overly existential in his documentaries, and more time could have been devoted to the historical realities of the inhabitants. He seems to linger quite a bit on parallels to cinema, which bogs down the film in parts. Still, very interesting and generally well done.

• Matthew Y

  
  Cave of Forgotten Dreams had a theatrical 3D run in limited release. God I wish I could have seen that because the film largely consists of slow tracking shots of the many cave drawings that I can only imagine looked fantastic with the 3D. Another typical great documentary to add to… More
  Cave of Forgotten Dreams had a theatrical 3D run in limited release. God I wish I could have seen that because the film largely consists of slow tracking shots of the many cave drawings that I can only imagine looked fantastic with the 3D. Another typical great documentary to add to the already impressive list of Werner Herzog.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings