Woyzeck (1979)
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82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
78% of users liked it
(4,061 ratings)
Controversial German director Werner Herzog helmed this cinematization of Woyzeck, playwright Georg Büchner's anti-military tale of depersonalization run amok. Utilizing the more grotesque elements of German expressionism, combined with his own sense of the outrageous, Herzog plunges us directly… More Controversial German director Werner Herzog helmed this cinematization of Woyzeck, playwright Georg Büchner's anti-military tale of depersonalization run amok. Utilizing the more grotesque elements of German expressionism, combined with his own sense of the outrageous, Herzog plunges us directly into the middle of his story of a soldier (Klaus Kinski) who is conditioned to be an unthinking killing machine through lab experimentation. His one vestige of humanity is his love for the beautiful Marie (Eva Mattes), but even this is corrupted when he is goaded into murdering the girl. An earlier film version of Woyzeck, filmed in 1947, was released in the U.S. in 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Werner Herzog
- Written By
- Georg Büchner, Werner Herzog
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
- In Theaters
- Aug 24, 1979 Limited
Critic Reviews
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
Woyzeck is, if possible, ever more mysterious by the time we reach the end than it is at the beginning.
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, Chicago Reader
The film seems to have been barely directed--the camera setups are relentlessly banal.
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Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Often painful but never truly affecting.
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Moira Sullivan, FilmFestivals.com
Klaus Kinski is exceptional and Herzog's narrative captivating.
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Keith Phipps, AV Club
Handsomely mounting each scene, the director has trouble attaining any forward momentum, though he achieves some powerful moments while trying.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Klaus Kinski
as Woyzeck
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Eva Mattes
as Woyzeck's Mistress
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Wolfgang Reichmann
as Captain
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Willy Semmelrogge
as Doctor
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Josef Bierbichler
as Drum Major
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Paul Burian
as Andres
- Herbert Fux
- Irm Hermann
- Volker Prechtel
- Dieter Augustin