Search - Fata Morgana on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Movie Release: 1971 DVD Release: 01/08/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, German Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Studio: Anchor Bay Members Wishing: 1 Genres: Avant-garde / Experimental

The term which has become this film's title, Fata Morgana, refers to mirages, and is an apt title for this storyless, hallucinatory work shot in the deserts of North Africa. It is a rhythmic, musical succession of images and short scenes. One of the images is a pianist and drummer who play tiredly, surrounded by endless tracts of desert. This is an image that has been adapted and re-used in countless music videos and is a small piece of evidence suggesting that this is a very influential film. The narration, in English, comes from a Guatemalan creation myth, and the accompanying music ranges from Couperin to Cash, with significant contributions by Leonard Cohen. Fata Morgana is one of the early features by the renowned director Werner Herzog, better known for Aguirre, Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. As is the case for many of Herzog's films, he paid a high price in physical pain to shoot this one; he was arrested and tortured by an African government in the mistaken belief that he was a mercenary soldier. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This Anchor Bay release combines a pair of Werner Herzog's lesser-known documentaries. The disc offers both a widescreen anamorphic transfer that produces a picture with an aspect ratio of 1.77:1, and a standard full-frame transfer. English and German soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. There are neither subtitles nor closed-captions on this release. Supplemental materials include commentary by Herzog, a biography of Herzog, and production notes. Those with an interest in this driven director will surely enjoy this title. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide