Overall Enjoyment: 15/40, Plot/Themes: 10/20, Cinematography/Direction: 15/20, Acting/Writing: 10/20 This movie was confusing and I didn't come out of it liking it, but after discussing it with those who watched we ended up uncovering a lot. The movie definitely had a lot of depth, but I just don't know if I'd be willing to watch it again to discover it. It didn't pull me in enough the first time

Remarkably deep film, not surprisingly, but one that needs to be studied rather closely in order to be fully appreciated. Its most powerful moments are also its most intractably personal; for Herzog, the sight of tens of thousands of windmills dotting the landscape must have immediately invoked some total plunge into madness, but for the viewer it serves merely as a marker or plot point.

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It's incredibly slow so it should be watched in a contemplative mood; I guess I owe this a rewatch, but I still really liked it (more than I thought I would). A young, inexperienced Herzog does masterful use of soundtrack, slow pacing and the gorgeous landscapes of Greece to create a moody, atmospheric piece about boredom, isolations and the limits of human nature. My only complaint is the narration, which feels like Herzog covering for what he can't show and felt out of place.

"Stroszek's motivations are as enigmatic as those of the windmills: the emphatic reversal of Kubrick's nasty, gorgeous joke." - Eric Henderson

Although the film didn't really do it for me, the ending in particular, it is a great first film and you can see a lot of promise here.

Throughout nearly the whole movie I wasn't sure where this movie was taking me; it's seemingly an endless stream of events, characters, and beautiful scenery that don't necessarily have much of a plot pulling it all together. But that's just what makes it so interesting, it's literally what the title depicts as cliche as that may sound, these are signs of life. It's an incredibly moving film in a way that does not rely on power but rather on the beauty of its characters and its photograp

Already has all of Herzog's trademarks: Odd situation, gorgeous photography, big stylistic debt to documentaries, and that gentle touch of surrealism. However, it's not fully mature: I felt that the narrated parts are a shortcoming, as they let on too much, too eagerly. They are Herzog telling you things outright that he doesn't know how to SHOW you. The movie also veers a bit too close to being allegorical for my liking - I hate allegories. Other than the very ending I really like it though.

Very moving, very powerful. Full of vivid imagery, humour, interesting and strange occurences and absurdism. The atmosphere is great too, the presentation of the fortress - with the decay, ruins and overgrowth (plus the great noises of nature) - is great. It's quite clear (well, atleast in Herzog's world) how madness is triggered in that environment. The soundtrack is also quite good, it's honest but still bold.

For a first film, this is quite remarkable, with lots of Herzog's trademark fascinating imagery. The fireworks shooting across the water, the hypnotized chicken, the gypsy's dance, the tiny wooden novelty owl... these are scenes that stayed burned into your memory long after the film is over. The cast consists almost entirely of non-actors, but you'd never know it from the performances. Great visuals, great music, great characters, great movie.

This is a great movie, and all the more impressive that it was basically made by a beginner. Some of the characters almost seem like real people from a Herzog documentary mixed in with the actors, the gypsy in particular. The music is also exceptional. I really can't get over how lovely the ending is. I'm not entirely happy that Stroszek's madman phase is all off-screen and explained via narration, and I'm not sure if it was concieved that way, but it works well enough.

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