[gobdovan]

If you want to see the extent of his respectfulness and depth, with his courage for self-analysis added on top, My Best Fiend would be my choice. It's a documentary about his relationship with Klaus Kinski, who was a pretty unhinged actor. It's fascinating to watch Herzog hold his own with Kinski, and to observe the strange mental space Herzog is in, somewhere between crystal-clear vision and complete madness.

[arwhatever]

Watched it. It reads interesting indeed. Makes me suspect that, at least during the Fitzcarraldo period, Herzog might’ve thought misery was valuable or even necessary to good filmmaking - misery in the form of stunts and geographic setting, and misery in the form of lead actor’s personality.

Best part of My Best Fiend was Herzog’s own thoughts (soliloquy?) on nature and the jungle itself. Those bits were some pure solid gold Herzog.