EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL (German) (1970)

Like every time once again Werner Herzog just made me speechless and it’s damn difficult to utter anything about the madness of his filmmaking. He’s the filmmaker who made absolutely path breaking films like ‘Fitzcarraldo’, ‘Aguirre-the wrath of God’, ‘Stroszek’, ‘The Enigma of Kasper Hauser’ and now the film about dwarfs. Only Herzog can make something radical like this; making a film entirely on cast consists of dwarf men showing us an unimaginable chaos from beginning to end. I’m sure you have never seen something like this.

As film opens we see the group of pygmies overthrowing the asylum institution turning rebel against the instructor in absence of principal. Quite unlikely to Herzog film, it has elements of wicked fun like watching Bunuel films. Without winning our sympathy, the dwarfs here represent the uncontrolled mess of madness letting out free. Whether it’s harassing instructor, two blind dwarfs or destroying telephone cables, trees, flower pots and above all the scene where they made mess of driverless circling car throwing every available object from typewriter to plates (he repeated circling car again in ‘Stroszek’). The dwarfs here are really monsters. We see the change of violent behavior of chicks too! And yes, there are some chaotic real images which you can only expect from him- crucified monkey, kneeling camel and unstoppable boisterously laughing dwarf named Hombre! Again a memorable Herzog character for sure!

There are many who pointed the film as crude satire on fascism and there’re many reasons why the film struggled terribly when it was released. The film was banned initially in Germany since Herzog became controversial men bearing hatred from political wings, animal rights activists and religious organizations for disturbing and ridiculous portrayal. But Herzog without any gimmicks made an honest film which makes you think hard and contemplate. Talking about the film Herzog said in book “Herzog on Herzog’, “It is not midgets who are monstrous, it is us and society we have created for us.”

Highly recommended for all Herzog fans.

Ratings-10/10