I... don't really know what to make of this. On the one hand, it has some breathtaking shots (it is a Herzog film. What else is new?). On the other hand, it's pretty damn incomprehensible. The fact that the actors were all under hypnosis is indeed quite fascinating, but I don't really see how it contributed to the quality of the movie. It seems like if Herzog wanted them to act all sleepy, they could have just acted all sleepy. Definitely need to watch this again.

Maybe you have to be hypnotized as well to actually get this.

10 for the approach and 10 for cinematography. What's the point? Even with the audio commentary I didn't get it. A promising plot which is undermined by the acting(? - hey, those people were hypnotized! You can't call that acting...)

One of Herzog's more experimental achievements. Supposedly using hypnosis, he evokes very odd performances from all the actors, but it works. The film is marked by a collective stagnation on behalf of its characters, who work towards a goal even they can't define. A truly surreal experience.

What.

pretty good

"Another bizarre cinematic allegory by Herzog... Most of the symbolism is too obscure and impenetrable but the movie as a whole is intriguingly pensive, poetic and pastoral with beautiful scenery."

It's a steep climb, for sure, but the view is worth it.

76.125

Not without its flaws but still totally unique; in turns beautifully enchanting and darkly, absurdly hilarious. One of those films that creates its own little world which I'm tempted to revisit often.

Very strange and beautiful.

The elusiveness of Heart of Glass makes it something of a disappointment. But it is too mysteriously lovely to be regarded as a failure.

My least favorite Herzog thus far. Great cinematography, and great acting, but it felt rather dull.

I thought the premise seemed fascinating and relevant before I saw this film, and I was eager to see what a hypnotized cast would act like. Unfortunately, the end result just wasn't illuminating or particularly interesting.

Not for everyone, but the imagery and dream like feeling blew me away. There are scenes in this film that are among Herzog's very best, and as a whole it's an enigmatic and surreal experiance. The exploration of the chaos of civilization is interesting, and Herzog's illustration of madness with many eccentricities is fascinating. The pacing (especially the slow dialogue) get's a little tiresome, but if you can look past this it's fantastic.

One of the more difficult Herzog films. It has some of the most lovely and spellbinding sights in any of his movies, yet it has some of the most frustrating bits as well. The largely hypnotized cast is the weirdest element, and it makes a few of the performances very interesting, but makes others downright annoying. I think it's worth watching once in a while, though.

As always with Herzog, there were lots of great moments, memorable images. But it gets dragged down by gimmicks... not just the central gimmick of having all the actors perform under hypnosis (though that's plenty bad enough) but also the imaginary bear, the guy who won't stand up, the apparently retarded girl with the shaved head, and Herzog's damned insistence on once again casting that annoying midget Scheitz. Nonetheless, if you can look past all that, it is a very interesting movie.

If you can appreciate genuine weirdness, this is for you. Well, first of all it's visually stunning - Herzog used footage of landscape shot all over the world for this, but the interiors are beautifully shot as well. Then there are the hypnotized actors - an ingenious touch, not at all a gimmick since the script is just outlandish enough to totally warrant it. Again Herzog succeeds in making something transcendental, new, simply one-of-a-kind.

I wish the whole movie could be like the beginning and the end of it.

Unimaginably experimental / unique / surreal; a gem from a plane of existence never seen before or since. The attention paid to the music & visuals is particularly involving.