I guess that is a valid viewpoint, if you are comfortable with it. I just think there’s enough bullshit flying around for anyone to feel the need to go out of their way to creat more. That said, I was only talking about his documentaries. Obviously, “Kaspar Hauser” is a factionalized retelling of a true story and doesn’t claim to be otherwise. I don’t have a problem with that at all. But when I watch a documentary I want to learn new things and these “ecstatic truth” landmines are an obstacle. None of this detracts from my admiration for his work, however. The saga of the making of “Fitzcarraldo” is fascinating. “Heart of Glass” is pretty great too.

More of a trickle.

“Little Dieter Learns to Fly” was good too. One thing that bothers me about Herzog is his practice of (I think this is how he put it in an interview), “Lying to tell a bigger truth.” For example, in “Little Dieter,” he shows Dieter checking doors by opening and shutting them multiple times. In the commentary track, he said Dieter didn’t really do that in real life, but he added it to show how he had to remind himself that he was not captive. I think that was not necessary; any intelligent person could see that he was affected in many ways without this made-up detail. Another documentary (I think he one about blind people) starts with a fake quote from Pascal (made up by Herzog). Again, I don’t think that was necessary.

I love Werner Herzog’s work! Especially “The Enigma of Caspar Hauser” and “Fitzcarraldo.” His documentary of the girl who fell out of a airplane into the Peruvian jungle is awesome as well. Most of his movies are as fascinating to watch on DVD with the “Director’s commentary” soundtrack turned on as they are with the “normal” soundtrack. His voice is almost hypnotic.

“It was an insignificant bullet.”