Life is often stranger than fiction, which is why many fiction writers look to real life for their stories. German cinema icon Werner Herzog, who has made as many documentaries as fiction films, clearly has a passion for real-life stories about extraordinary characters. In The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974) his focus is on a man whose origins has remained an unsolved mystery since the 1800s. From an anthropological standpoint it’s a fascinating story, anchored by an actor tasked with portraying a character that is essentially a blank state.
Herzog has written, directed, and starred in dozens of movies since the start of his career and sadly I have only seen a few. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is probably his most known commercial work since it features Nicolas Cage going full Nicolas Cage. Then of course anyone with a Disney + subscription now knows Herzog as “The Client” in The Mandalorian. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser is nowhere near as flashy as any of these projects, but it is definitely worth watching. No need for any subscription to see it since it is currently available for free on the Tubi movie app, minus the occasional interruption for commercials.
The movie tells the true story of a young man (Bruno S.) who was found in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, in 1828 holding a letter with mysterious information. Authorities quickly realized the man could barely speak, stand, walk, or write. He could however write his name: Kaspar Hauser. Kaspar claimed to have been kept in a cellar for his entire youth with only a toy horse and his unknown captor for company. Due to the lack of human interaction, he didn’t know how to eat with cutlery, seemed to have no concept of object permanence, and did not comprehend the meaning of danger. When a man swings a sword in front of him, Kaspar just stares ahead because he has no idea what a sword does.
Kaspar’s mysterious origins became a national mystery. At first, he becomes a circus attraction, but thankfully that is short-lived. Over time with proper education he learns how to read, write, and also how to play the piano for distinguished guests. He’s no Mozart, but I have an education and I can’t play a single instrument so Kaspar is ahead of me on that one.
I have a fondness for self-made characters who surmount the odds and become much more than what they were. There is the Count of Monte-Cristo who went to prison and came out a rich and educated man. You have the Bane character from the Batman comics who was born in prison but read his way through the prison library to become one of the Caped Crusader’s most cunning villains. Kaspar Hauser never achieved such outlandish adventures, but he does get very far in life compared to where he started.
Herzog’s movie was interesting enough for me to go on Wikipedia and read up a bit more about the enigmatic Mr. Hauser. It turns out many people assumed he was a fraud who was lying to the public in order to feed his own legend. That is never alluded to in the movie, but then again Herzog is not making a documentary. The legend is fascinating enough as it is without too many additional facts.
The movie of course owes a lot to the performance of Bruno S., whose own life was so interesting he eventually became the subject of a documentary. He fully embodies the character of Kaspar with a series of unique mannerisms and a distinct speech pattern. He seems a bit too old for the character, but from the moment you see him you really believe this is a person that has been cut off from society for years. It is truly one of the best performances captured on film.
Comments
Post a Comment