This documentary about life in and around a vast scientific research centre in Antarctica. None of these meetings, however, is as interesting as the interspersed footage of the pole’s natural wonders.
Comment
04/28/09
Encounters At the End of the World (2007)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:100
Fresh:93
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: Encounters at the End of the World offers a poignant study of the human psyche amid haunting landscapes.
Theatrical Release:24-04-2009
Synopsis: Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn) confirms his standing as poet laureate of men in extreme situations with Encounters at the End of the World. In this visually stunning exploration, Herzog... [More]
Director: Werner Herzog
Reviews for Encounters At the End of the World
His best film for years.
04/28/09
This Oscar-nominated gem reveals far more than the traditional documentary by coming at the subject from an unexpected angle to reveal a myriad of unvarnished truths.
04/25/09
Too loose and aimless to sit with Herzog’s best, Encounters drifts along on its filmmaker’s frostbitten humour and his ever-searching eye for weirdness and wonder.
04/25/09
Herzog is baffled, amused and fascinated by them all, exults in their palpable strangeness, draws us deep into their unique world and, via Henry Kaiser’s extraordinary underwater photography, what looms often unnervingly beneath it.
04/25/09
Nature at its most mysterious, brutal and implacable - just as Herzog likes it.
04/24/09
Top CriticSeemingly off-hand, cumulatively imposing, utterly masterful.
04/24/09
Top CriticAs a nature doc alone, Encounters at the End of the World would stand as one of the year’s best. But it is the people who choose to live and work at the very ends of the Earth that are Herzog’s real subject.
04/24/09
Top CriticIt's a thoroughly intelligent, worthwhile and tremendous-looking film. But where is the dark spark of Herzog magic?
04/24/09
Top CriticAlmost every film Werner Herzog makes is savage and incisive. Encounters at the End of the World, far-out and unforgettable.
04/24/09
Top CriticAs a nature documentary it’s nothing special. But that was never the intent. As an observational study of people and place, it’s truly fascinating.
04/24/09
Mid-list Herzog, but still a stimulating, strange experience. And that tragically perverse penguin is the most memorable movie animal of the year.
04/24/09
Top CriticA compelling film that is by turns thought-provoking and very funny.
04/24/09
This is Herzog in awe at life, the universe, eternity itself.
04/24/09
The film is beautifully shot both under the ice, where creatures roam in a place that would rival any sci-fi horror.
04/24/09
Fatalism is the dark theme running through this otherwise extremely entertaining film, which is just as interested in the many weird and wonderful people who have made the Antarctic their home.
04/24/09
Engaging, beautifully shot and genuinely fascinating documentary that will stay with you for weeks afterwards.
04/23/09
The dazzling images speak eloquently for themselves, even without the director's witty deadpan voice-over.
10/06/07
The footage is breathtaking. We also are privileged to watch seals feeding their young, but the revelations about penguin 'prostitutes' are perhaps the film's most extraordinary. Gay penguins? Insane penguins?
09/10/09
Caustically enchanting
08/26/09
Latest News for Encounters At the End of the World
February 16, 2009:
Werner Herzog Looks Back 
Werner Herzog has a reputation for populating his documentaries with larger-than-life personalities, but according to the director, it's never planned that way -- the stories he... More...
July 06, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
July 01, 2008:
Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the Scottish city. More...
March 13, 2008:
Werner Herzog Taking Audiences on Antarctic Adventures
Throughout his career, Werner Herzog has shown a fascination with protagonists in impossible situations. For his latest film, he took his cameras to what might be the most... More...
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