The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

It is my new favorite movie. Anybody else love this flick? Anybody else want to talk about it? My favorite part is when Kaspar is allowed to hold the baby and he says, “Mother… I am so far from everything.” (translation, which I’ve heard doesn’t fully capture the meaning of the original). I can only wish that I understood German so that I could watch it without subtitles. Everything I’ve seen from Herzog has been fucking awesome, but this one is the best so far. Anyone who hasn’t seen it yet should see it… now!!!

Great movie. You might also like Truffaut’s The Wild Child/L’enfant sauvage.

I love Herzog; he’s willing to take bigger risk (and often at greater risk to his actors) than almost anyone. One thing, it’s helpful to know BEFORE you watch it (I didn’t) that all the actors in Heart of Glass were performing under hypnosis.

That Werner.

Seen him, as an actor, in Julien Donkey-Boy?

Yes, I’ve seen the movie but only in German and I understand it only passably with my rusty German. (I would love some subtitles or a transcript.). I agree that it is one of the most incredible movies that I have seen, there is just such a beautiful “texture” to the movie. The screnplay is great, very memorable acting, and a “lilting” cinematography that sets the movie perfectly.

In the scene that you mention, when Kaspar holds the baby he says, “Mutter, ich bin von allem abgetan.”
“Mother, I am so far from everything.” is a pretty accurate translation but you’re right, it isn’t quite literal and does miss a bit of nuance. Literally, he is saying “Mother, I am settled from (left out of) everything”. The scene is poignant in its sadness and joy. It is a moment of self realization and simultaneous joy. The tears are truly bittersweet. To me, It encapsulates the great distance and seperation that many people with mental illnesses feel from the beautiful and simple moments in life. It’s that “I’m always so close, but I’ll never be there fully” feeling. Occasionally, those moments of true belonging come along, but then are fleet and the sadness amd alienation is indescribable.

I saw both Kaspar Hauser and L’Enfant Sauvage together at the Leicester University Film Society in about 1978: the best double bill I have ever been to. However, I have not seen either film since.

I saw the original German film about 10 years ago without subtitles. I was studying German at the time and amazingly understood almost everything. Unfortunately, it’s all slipped away now due to non-usage, and thinking about the movie now only brings back emotions and impressions. I may have to pick it up again and refresh my memory, even if it’ll be with subtitles this time…

Incidentally, the original German title for this film was “Alles fuer Sich, und Gott gegen Alles” (Every man for himself, and God against all).

Just call me a treefrog.

Hey all, thanks for the replies. I worked third shift last night and very nearly forgot about this thread!!

devilsknew, I just knew you’d provide some insight into the translation of that scene! I cherish that moment in the movie, especially the first time I saw it… what a wonder.

And I also saw Heart of Glass within a week of seeing Kaspar Hauser. I knew ahead of time that most of the actors were hypnotized; it made the dementedness of the movie make more sense. I kind of wish I hadn’t known ahead of time… lissener, how did it color your experience of the movie not to have known? I’d be interested in hearing about it.

I also recently saw Incident at Loch Ness and Grizzly Man. I can’t wait to see the rest of Herzog’s stuff. That Werner!

And I guess I will see Julien donkey-boy after I see Gummo. When I find time.

ARGH.

I had to watch this movie for my English class last year, our teacher wanted us to write an essay about it. We watched it in German with subtitles.

I think I hated it because I was forced to over-analyze it. It definitely wasn’t a bad film. But it drove me crazy. I hate watching films for a class, it ruins them for me.

Because I spent most of my time watching it going “huh?” I couldn’t figure out what he was trying to do. Knowing ahead of time that they were hypnotized would have helped, because obviously that’s relevant to the film or he wouldn’t have done it that way. It would have given me a perspective from which to watch it.

Another story-turned-movie of a feral child is the one about Genie (found in 1973) , filmed as Mockingbird Don’t Sing

I kinda liked it.