Here’s the final reminder that Klaus Kinski is a piece of shit, which is probably more important for this film more than any other since Herzog does try to humanize him a bit, especially by ending the film with Kinski playing with a butterfly. Also, I write every article under the assumption that the reader has seen the movie, so SPOILERS, although that’s not that big of a deal for a documentary of this type.
I almost skipped writing about My Best Fiend because I was worried there wouldn’t be much to write about...and I was kind of right. This will be my shortest article about the Herzog/Kinski collection because it’s a movie about them rather than a movie by them.
Also, this will be shorter than most because I’m honestly just a bit sick of Herzog and Kinski at this point. Even though I took a while to get through the collection, it still ended up being too much too soon. In hindsight, I wish I had spaced this out doing one a month in between other films. Too late now, though, so here goes.
Seems more about Herzog than Kinski
The most interesting thing about this film is that Herzog ends up being more interesting than Kinski. This is partly because I already read about or heard (through commentaries) Kinski’s craziness. Sure, there are a few scenes in My Best Fiend that show this off (a Kinski meltdown over food on the set of Fitzcarraldo comes to mind), but overall I learned more about Herzog than Kinski.
I had already come to the conclusion that Herzog is just as disturbed as Kinski because he chose to work with the man, and tended to manipulate Kinski’s erratic behavior to get a performance he wanted. There’s an emotional detachment in Herzog’s treatment of Kinski that I find troubling. In that scene I mentioned above, Herzog just calmly walks around while Kinski goes on and on, and eventually just moves on with the next scene. He has no interesting in stopping anything; he’s only worried about his film.
According to Herzog himself, the natives on the set of Fitzcarraldo were more frightened by him than Kinski because of his calm demeanor. Herzog is extremely self-aware, though. He knows he is like some of the characters Kinski portrayed. He worked with Kinski because he lacked the ability to play the parts himself, even though he was willing to to get the films made. They needed each other, in a sick kind of way.
Would I own this if it wasn’t part of the collection?
No, but it is a good documentary. I just don’t rewatch documentaries very often, and it’s unlikely that I revisit this one.
Random Thoughts
Some reviews claim this is an unfair movie because Herzog gets to talk about Kinski the madman without a rebuttal. I can see that.
“There was indescribable chaos.”
Kinski wanted to use the location of Macchu Picchu to full effect, Herzog disagrees. I’m with Kinski on this one. Why go to such a beautiful place but only use it partially. According to Herzog, that would not be real. I guess...
Kinski called Herzog a megalomaniac, and Herzog said, “that makes two of us.” Yup.
The “unbridgeable gap" between them dealt with nature, which I find hilarious for some reason. Herzog thought Kinski was a poser when it came to his love of nature.
Copulating with a tree? That little segment of Kinski in the jungle really pissed Herzog off.
Kinski finds nature erotic. Of course, Herzog, the uber German that he is, finds nature harmonious, but miserable.
Herzog saying he loves the jungle comes across so angrily.
Herzog admits to provoking him. What does this say about him? But Herzog thinks Kinski secretly wanted this.
So, like the jungle, their relationship is harmonious but also violent and miserable.
“I'm quite sane, clinically sane, so to speak.”
“I seriously planned to firebomb him in his house.”
Herzog truly considers himself Fitzcarraldo. He talks of everyone but him giving up until they saw the ship move.
Talking about the ship being moved up the hill, Herzog says it's a great metaphor. He's not sure what the metaphor is, but he knows it's a good one. That sums up a lot of his work.
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