Woyzeck is a 1979 movie directed by Werner Herzog.
Woyzeck tells the story of a disoriented soldier who is victimized by those in his life: his young wife cheats on him, his Captain mocks him and he’s the subject of demeaning experiments. He’s often bullied until the voices only he can hear lead him to madness.
This may be the leanest Herzog-Kinski offering – it almost resembles a Fassbinder movie in its efficiency and sparse setting. Yet, the hallmark Herzog traits – the crippling futility in the face of a hostile world, gorgeous, terrifying music and the scene chewing prowess of Klaus Kinski are present.
Woyzeck is Kinski’s movie. He inhabits a character who is eternally consumed with the extra-sensory phenomena occurring around him. He hears voices emerging in the ground, through the wind and rustling in leaves. Kinski’s face is plastered with a permanent thousand-yard stare – he’s searching into an unknown that begins to torment him.
The plot of Woyzeck is simple. He’s a rifleman reduced to being an orderly. He’s the subject of medical experiments and is married to the younger Marie, played by Eva Mattes. They have a small child together – who Woyzeck clearly cares for. Yet, the relationship is one-sided – Woyzeck provides for Marie yet she openly flirts with other men.
It is her involvement with Josef Bierbichler’s Drum Major that ultimately delivers Woyzeck into madness. Marie is physically attracted to Drum Major – ironically telling her friend that she loves a man in uniform. Yet, he’s the antithesis of Woyzeck: tall, brawny and confident.
They meet at Marie’s apartment. He boldly advances, yet she resists. It’s an intriguing scene – as Marie seems to exist in two worlds: her regrettable reality with Woyzeck and an idealized one with Drum Major. Mattes gives a subtle, memorable performance. Not dissimilar to Woyzeck, she is wrapped in an existence of guilt. She hates herself for how she treats him – but not enough to change her behavior.
These extramarital events spread around the small town. Woyzeck is dragged into a quirky conversation between Wolfgang Reichmann’s Captain and Willy Semmelrogue’s Doctor. It’s a ludicrous scene but it gives Woyzeck a target for his growing insanity. The only tangible attachment he has is openly betraying him.
The movie’s most vivid scene – and maybe one of Kinski’s greatest – comes as Woyzeck confronts Marie. Kinski enters the scene with aggressive intent – he no longer drags along his previous droopy, bewildered manner. He pretends that she’s invisible – then forcefully reenacts the supposed passionate thrusts and grasps committed by Drum Major.
It’s a unique portrayal – Kinski is playing a character completely removed from reality, channeling the actions of another who he cannot identify with. The shift in tone is stark. Marie is genuinely scared of the sad sack Woyzeck – for a moment, he’s dangerous. Yet, the sentiment is fleeting – the abandonment and sadness in Kinski’s pronounced eyes instantly returns.
Marie now fully rejects him. She and the Drum Major dance together. Woyzeck reaches his breaking point – sprawled out in a field, he talks to the voices: “Louder. Louder. Stab dead? Should I? Must I? Do I hear it there too? Is the wind saying it too? Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”
Tragically, Woyzeck’s voices now define him. He is bullied by the Drum Major. The agony of his complete breakdown is heartbreaking. He hears the urge to stab everywhere. He commits the unspeakable act before continually returning to the scene of the crime.
The BEST – The Sped-Up Opening
The opening sequence shows Kinski’s Woyzeck going through a litany of soldier drills – he gasps, sweats and stumbles. Herzog speeds up the film to resemble a Bugs Bunny cartoon. It’s a unique device – especially for a movie that ultimately proves bleak.
The BEST Part 2 – The Conversation Between the Doctor and Captain
There’s an absurdist quality to Woyzeck that gets lost in Kinski’s standout performance. The Doctor – who at times boasts a charlatan quality – is approached by The Captain. The Captain complains of a melancholy feeling. The Doctor looks him over and suggests he’s about to have a stroke.
Woyzeck enters the exchange and the Captain alludes to Marie’s infidelity. The Doctor checks Woyzeck’s pulse, gives him a bonus and sends him off. The entire scene could exist in a Woody Allen comedy.
The BEST Part 3 – Herzog Being Herzog
Shortly before her final encounter with Woyzeck, a group of children run to Marie – asking for a story. Marie gathers them around and tells the most brutally depressing tale of broken dreams. It’s vintage Herzog and purely German.
The BEST Part 4 – The Zen of Andres
Woyzeck’s soldier partner may be the most chill person ever cast in a Herzog production. He is the picture of calm against Kinski’s madness.
The WORST – Herzog Being Herzog Part 2
Woyzeck commits his brutal act under a red moon before returning to the scene of the crime. He feels tremendous remorse, yet also clumsily tries to conceal evidence of his involvement. We’re left watching Marie’s lifeless body and a final scroll: “a good murder, a real murder, a beautiful murder – as any man can hope to see.”
Clearly, we’re left to our own interpretation – which is nearly always the mark of a good story. However, the trouble I have with this ending is the emphasis shifts to the town itself rather than Woyzeck. While it’s possible that Herzog is examining the effects everyone’s actions have on Woyzeck, the ending is an odd time to present such an argument.
Or, I may have completely missed something here.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING -4.25/5
Woyzeck may be Herzog’s cleanest production. It’s an efficient story and great showcase for Kinski’s tremendous skill. There are some standout scenes that contribute to one of Kinski’s best performances. Woyzeck is a must-watch.
