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Cave of Forgotten Dreams
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Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2011
Documentary
1h 30m
Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France, capturing the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind in their astonishing natural setting. (imdb)
Directed by:
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog
Written by:
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog
Starring:
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog
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Genre:
Documentary
Country:
Germany
Languages:
English, French, German
imdb More information at IMDb
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Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2011
Documentary
1h 30m
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Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 61.26% from 954 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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kasperlKasperL
Rated 14 Feb 2011
40
19th
Beautiful shots and some effective 3D wasn't enough. The interviewees clearly found the cave drawings much more interesting than me.
Rated 14 Feb 2011
oldgoatoldgoat
Rated 05 Apr 2011
50
18th
Poorly put together. No flow. Focused too much on one detail then jumped past a big theme. This could have been so good and the shots of the drawings were beautiful but that's about it.
Rated 05 Apr 2011
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 20 Sep 2011
62
38th
Quite disappointing. I went in expecting another fantastic Herzogian Documentary and instead got a Discovery Channel special. The art and its history were fantastic but the film just wasn't.
Rated 20 Sep 2011
redactedredacted
Rated 12 Jul 2012
85
83rd
Quite a stunning hardcut from the second last shot to the shot the final credits roll over. This film makes me consider a few things. Leaving a mark for the future might just be the only admirable beacon someone can light during a life. As well as part of what Herzog covered in the post script, that we are here now, a floating collection of consciousness with no solid state, we have no representation of what is real unless it is hard carved into time like these drawings. How far have we come?
Rated 12 Jul 2012
djrossdjross
Rated 04 Mar 2012
76
87th
Very evocative presentation of the timescale of the human individuation process, and of the very long aesthetico-technical circuit unfurling from the cave paintings of the Palaeolithic era to the 3D camera of Werner Herzog. The offhand reflections of the interviewees are often as interesting as their accounts of their scientific work and findings. Saw this in 2D. Also: https://www.academia.edu/12685569/Review_of_Bernard_Stiegler_Technics_and_Time_3_2011_
Rated 04 Mar 2012
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 07 Dec 2011
79
70th
This film completely worked for me. Herzog envelops you in the idea that this art... has been around... for 30,000 years. For comparison, Christianity has been around for 2,000. From that perspective, these scratches of horses on cave walls hold profound cultural and spiritual resonance, something proto and primal, that I think validates all of Herzog's funky wanderings into albino crocodiles. It's something beyond him, definitely, to explain, but also way beyond us.
Rated 07 Dec 2011
cagedwisdomcagedwisdom
Rated 09 Apr 2011
50
38th
oldgoat pretty much says it. The paintings are spectacular, interesting, awe-inspiring - the use of 3D an inspired act in itself. But basically, this is a documentary about one particularly large canvas of painting, where most of what fills the canvas is fairly similar, and it lasts 90 minutes which is easily twice as long as it should be. A lot of interesting stuff but it's really not a singularly solid documentary like Grizzly Man was. Must be seen though, and in 3D.
Rated 09 Apr 2011
pilgermannpilgermann
Rated 22 Jun 2011
60
33rd
I'm glad I got to see this, but it was sorta disappointing. The people that are featured are nice intelligent folks, but they aren't the interesting sorts that the director finds, not even the perfume expert. Herzog's narration also isn't as clever or inspired. There's a long stretch towards the end of nothing but paintings and music, and it's beautiful. The 3D effect is impressive with almost tangible contours of stone and ghostly lighting. Would've worked better if it were shorter.
Rated 22 Jun 2011
jpfergusonJPFerguson
Rated 02 May 2020
80
89th
Genuinely amazing imagery, not just Herzog's footage of these cave paintings but the paintings themselves as proto-cinema. Herzog seems the perfect film maker for such a job and he does not disappoint; honouring the caves, the paintings and their creators.
Rated 02 May 2020
joojooJooJoo
Rated 02 Dec 2011
5
80th
Werner Herzog has given meaning and value to 3D. Is there anything he can't do?
Rated 02 Dec 2011
jodamicojodamico
Rated 11 May 2011
82
86th
There were some missed opportunities, and a weird tension between the History Channel bits and the Herzogy-bits, but there were also moments of almost unutterable beauty. That ten-minute or so montage at the end of all the paintings was breathtaking. The 3D truly was imperative - not just on the texture of the wall as I anticipated but in a myriad of little ways, like the way it brought out the sparkling crystal surface of the cave.
Rated 11 May 2011
ranaldRanald
Rated 04 Oct 2011
50
17th
The cave paintings are extraordinary and it's a privilege to see them. However, the interview portions are so slow and uninformative, with interesting facts being parceled out at such long intervals, that the movie ends up being a drag.
Rated 04 Oct 2011
brendomanbrendoman
Rated 05 Jan 2012
89
56th
Caves are awesome and so is Werner Herzog so I really dug it.
Rated 05 Jan 2012
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 28 Oct 2011
7
65th
Interesting subject matter yet I never felt fully engulfed or transported by Herzog. More like a very solid tv special.
Rated 28 Oct 2011
rojatumerojatume
Rated 13 Sep 2016
36
1st
If you've seen one cave drawing, you've seen them all.
Rated 13 Sep 2016
hawkinsHawkins
Rated 08 May 2022
81
72nd
The only forgotten dream in this cave is 3D cinema. I don't have the magic screen to bring the contour of the rock to my living room, but I felt in touch with the material nonetheless. One thing I'm surprised doesn't get mentioned is the connection to "The Horse In Motion", some of the first moving images recorded on film.
Rated 08 May 2022
mrcarmadyMrCarmady
Rated 22 May 2011
82
43rd
I want my life to have a Herzog voiceover.
Rated 22 May 2011
kojilessKojiless
Rated 17 Mar 2012
34
35th
The paintings are awe-inspiring, and Herzog does an excellent job of poking and prodding the quirky characters who work in and around the cave, but as is the case with most of his movies, CoFD ends up being 15 minutes of content stretched in Herzogian fashion to 60.
Rated 17 Mar 2012
shewasSheWas
Rated 08 Aug 2020
67
65th
and then he went POSTSCRIPT
Rated 08 Aug 2020
actionbergActionberg
Rated 15 May 2011
70
49th
The immobile closeup shots of the cave paintings are the finest implementation of 3D I've ever seen; the astounding and borderline spiritual depth that is elicited from this technique is very memorable. However, anything not related to the former is so jarring and pointless. Why does the entire documentary have to feature 3D effects, especially when it's just a guy sitting in a room talking to Herzog? Everyone should probably see it, but the director has done better.
Rated 15 May 2011
rufamRufam
Rated 21 Apr 2014
65
42nd
Both Herzog's infectious enthusiasm and the inherent fascination of the subject matter result in a lot of awe-inspiring sequences and thought-provoking observations. Still, it's a somewhat overlong and uneven film, one that goes back and forth between genuinely eye-popping footage and commentary and several dull, unnecessary stretches.
Rated 21 Apr 2014
mkellinsmkellins
Rated 12 Aug 2013
65
65th
Herzog does a wonderful job portraying the cave and the paintings. The interviews are also captivating. The film probably needs to be viewed on a big screen, rather than a lap top, to really appreciate the drawings.
Rated 12 Aug 2013
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 24 Aug 2011
96
92nd
Werner Herzog has the most easily-parodied style of documentary film-making. Even so, he manages to create a transcendent ode to the human spirit
Rated 24 Aug 2011
karlsonkarlson
Rated 08 Jan 2019
68
37th
Quite hard to rate… a great subject and setting, and a couple of true scientists at word, but why, why did the old crook decide to do the voice-over and the writing himself? Or was it that nobody had the guts to tell him he's no good behind a mic and that he could better have had an expert written this? Well, a must see for everyone who is interested in paleontology, but prepare for a not so great documentary.
Rated 08 Jan 2019
disasterDisaster
Rated 05 Mar 2014
74
38th
The subject matter and some of his framing made me feel uncomfortable, like squirming under a bright light. At times, however, I felt the pacing to be a bit too meandering and flighty. The end bit was staggering, though.
Rated 05 Mar 2014
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 29 Jul 2023
75
71st
It's a real treat to have this insight into these caves that rare few people would get to otherwise see. Herzog manages to take you there as best as he can and grants the viewer the time to study these paintings in full. It's crazy to imagine the span of time that has passed between the modern people entering the cave as opposed to the people who have made this art. I was left wanting a little bit more information, but for its runtime, it does the best it can.
Rated 29 Jul 2023
emtiltemtilt
Rated 10 Mar 2012
54
30th
(2D version) This film is something of a failure. It's rather unfocused and poorly structured, while also lacking enough content for its length.
Rated 10 Mar 2012
quez2goquez2go
Rated 09 Jun 2011
66
38th
Much more interesting than I expected, and some beautiful visuals, but longer than it needs to be and lulled me into a rather pleasant sleep for about 20 minutes in the middle.
Rated 09 Jun 2011
sebbysebby
Rated 02 Dec 2011
60
46th
One of Herzog's poorer documentary efforts.
Rated 02 Dec 2011
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 13 Aug 2016
80
37th
Viewed August 12, 2016. The genius of Werner Herzog is that he will derail an interview just to figure out that his subject juggled for the circus before he became an archaeologist. Those drawings aren't just historical curios of a time long gone. They're the feeble remains of the people who drew them, the only proof that their lives ever meant anything to anyone. Did they dream? Did they cry at night? Why don't we wonder?
Rated 13 Aug 2016
funkyastroFunkyAstro
Rated 12 Feb 2013
60
58th
Herzog manages to take relatively banal subject matter and through his mad genius and the wonderful way he asks insightful questions, he always seems to capture his audiences and really makes them think about the topic in a different way. He forgot to do that this time.
Rated 12 Feb 2013
barraocBarraoc
Rated 16 Apr 2016
60
38th
You know those documentaries that shift your perception on a topic, or change the way you look at the world or maybe yourself? Well this isn't one of those. I suppose it's important for capturing something we wouldn't get a chance to see otherwise. I just wish I could summon as much enthusiasm for the drawings as some of the scientists studying them seem to have... Also, I found out that albino crocodiles are really spooky. #1001Movies
Rated 16 Apr 2016
drstrangeluvdrstrangeluv
Rated 08 Dec 2011
80
77th
Even without the 3D, this is still a thoroughly engrossing documentary. Watch as Werner explores what we can learn about our existence by studying 32,000 year old cave paintings. And of course, it wouldn't be a Herzog documentary without musings on things such as the art criticism of albino crocodiles.
Rated 08 Dec 2011
yiannosYiannos
Rated 02 Oct 2016
50
26th
Herzog is cinema's greatest explorer; travelling to the furthest corners of the earth, he is fearless in his quest to locate the uncanny, the inexplicable, the extraordinary--phenomena which eludes common human understanding--and to document and preserve it for the less brave but nonetheless curious among us. In C.O.F.D he manages to find his ultimate subject: pictorial representations of a long lost world. Shame his presentation is as bone dry as the cave paintings it depicts.
Rated 02 Oct 2016
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 12 Nov 2013
70
41st
Some nice images, but Herzog's narration is pretty overcooked and rambling (the postscript is incomprehensible). About two-thirds of the way through he seems to run out of ideas and the film just kind of slowly fades away.
Rated 12 Nov 2013
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 10 Jul 2011
60
36th
To be honest, it felt like Herzog had about an hour (or perhaps even less) of useful footage, and elected out of necessity to show the same paintings several times from different perspectives. That's how it felt, anyways. I'm a huge fan of Herzog, and if you ask me every one of his documentaries are worth seeing. But Cave of Forgotten Dreams is one of his lesser ones. And as to the 3D, I can't see 3D in movies, so it quite literally added nothing for me.
Rated 10 Jul 2011
perrystroikaPerryStroika
Rated 01 Sep 2011
67
77th
With 3D this is a truly unforgettable experience.
Rated 01 Sep 2011
calabriaCalabria
Rated 06 Dec 2011
81
58th
35,000 years old.
Rated 06 Dec 2011
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 07 Nov 2013
4
91st
[2D TV] Surprisingly affecting film, showing the works 'through' the awe and enthusiasm of the investigators -a likeable and slightly eccentric bunch- was a great move. It's a shame some were dubbed but perhaps subtitles would 'break' the 3d. Unusual and stylish soundtrack.
Rated 07 Nov 2013
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 07 Mar 2022
70
53rd
Werner Herzog: "In a forbidden recess of the cave, there's a footprint of an eight-year-old boy next to the footprint of a wolf. Did a hungry wolf stalk the boy? Or did they walk together as friends? Or were their tracks made thousands of years apart? We'll never know."
Rated 07 Mar 2022
davidjohnsonDavidJohnson
Rated 03 Dec 2011
67
41st
Interesting, but about 45 minutes too long. Would have been a better 1 hour TV special or something. Lot's of long shots of art that ultimately looks like it was done by a 12 year old. Maybe I'm the only one, but the art isn't the thing that's interesting, it's the backstory of what could have taken place, and something so historic that's interesting, so I'm sorry if I'm bored by a 10 minute slideshow with no dialogue near the end.
Rated 03 Dec 2011
friendo55friendo55
Rated 24 Feb 2012
84
62nd
I really wish I could've watched this in 3D - and I can't believe I'm saying that.
Rated 24 Feb 2012
angrypierreangrypierre
Rated 03 Jul 2012
88
91st
A truly beautiful film. Herzog clearly loves the subject matter, and balances between image, fact and his own flights of fancy of interpretation. Just looking at the paintings is half an hour. The expert testimony is another half hour. The rest is Herzog taking you on a journey of imagination. He tells you what he thinks and feels, but ultimately leaves the viewer to interpret what they see. Fantastic.
Rated 03 Jul 2012
malcymMalcym
Rated 23 Jun 2015
5
32nd
The beautiful paintings in the Chauvet caves speak for themselves, and are effortlessly enthralling. Less so are Herzog's ramblings and the interviews, only sporadically insightful and frequently repetitive. A missed opportunity, really.
Rated 23 Jun 2015
slugslug
Rated 22 Dec 2014
8
72nd
My second Herzog doc, after Grizzly Man. Came into this sceptical but it was pretty enlightening. The last 20? minutes are phenomenal.
Rated 22 Dec 2014
snbutlersnbutler
Rated 06 Jun 2016
60
22nd
Perhaps a rare example of one better to have seen in 3D
Rated 06 Jun 2016
ddrudgesd_drudges
Rated 04 Sep 2013
70
81st
Herzog turns something that should have been boring as hell into something fascinating. As usual, Herzog strikes the perfect balance between letting his footage speak for itself and leading the audience on. I'd take these cave paintings over "modern" art every day.
Rated 04 Sep 2013
krf7krf7
Rated 20 Oct 2011
50
26th
Sort of a hybrid Herzog film/Discovery Channel film that doesn't do well in either category. From an information perspective, not enough is explained about the cave and its place in history, and from the Herzog perspective, his deep-thinking questions are a bit bizarre and daft even for him. Have to give it a little credit, though, because this might be the only real-time look we ever get at this cave.
Rated 20 Oct 2011
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 29 Feb 2012
75
71st
In typical Herzog fashion he tries to uncover the thought process behind the subject of this documentary. In this case it's paleolithic artists who painted incredible images in a cave in France. It's great just to hear the wonderment in describing the mindset and the intent on capturing kinetic movement and "frames" that we take as normal. The focus though seems to be the spiritual conjoining of man and his environment. The sense of self is just a depiction on the wall that is timeless.
Rated 29 Feb 2012
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 23 Jan 2012
3
45th
I really should've seen this in 3D. Nonetheless, it's a good movie. Being Herzog, you should expect more than archaeology, history, and facts. He fills the narration with poetics, delves into some of the scientists' personal eccentricities, and digresses from his main subject. There's not anything much wrong with it, but it doesn't hit me quite as hard as a lot of his other work.
Rated 23 Jan 2012
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 04 Feb 2012
74
50th
Herzog narrates the film with his usual spellbinding tones, waxing poetic about the mysteries of the universe. It does occasionally resemble self-parody but I could listen to that guy talk all day. It's not one of his best docs, though. It could use some more interesting interview subjects or some more esoteric tangents. As interesting as the caves are, they don't seem to be quite enough to sustain 90 minutes on their own. But, some mild repetitiveness aside, it's a rather captivating study.
Rated 04 Feb 2012
payenspayens
Rated 23 Mar 2013
83
71st
Enhanced experience if seen on 3D at the British Museum.
Rated 23 Mar 2013
shanebarlow3shanebarlow3
Rated 28 Apr 2018
64
41st
I wasn't able to see this in 3D as it was intended, so take the score with a serious grain of salt.
Rated 28 Apr 2018
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 14 Sep 2020
90
87th
A Caverna dos Sonhos Esquecidos estreava há 10 anos no Festival de Toronto. Tem tanto documentário medíocre povoando o mundo que ver um pelas mãos de um grande mestre é sempre acalentar da pura arte. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 14 Sep 2020
jasoo2jasoo2
Rated 08 Jul 2018
95
96th
I was so enraptured by the significance of the content that it's not possible for me to consider the technical merits of the presentation. For me, this documentary belongs within the proverbial nuclear warfare bunker-library, for its importance. Among these cave paintings there are no scenes of intra-human violence, nor ancient precursors to gang signs, which I find interesting, but then, there are many alternative observations to be made about these paintings, which itself recommends the movie.
Rated 08 Jul 2018
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 01 Feb 2012
75
63rd
The usual Herzog concoction of beauty, poetry, eccentrics and... alligators. Again.
Rated 01 Feb 2012
wulfstanleeWulfstanLee
Rated 21 May 2016
100
94th
Superb. Sublime. Other "S" adjectives you want to throw out, all applicable to this film. The cave paintings at Chauvet are fascinating, and Herzog's camera and narration treat them with the appropriate mix of alterity and familiarity.
Rated 21 May 2016
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 20 Oct 2011
35
90th
"As with all of Herzog's nonfiction efforts, it's spellbound by the wonder of man's relationship to his surroundings." - Nick Schager
Rated 20 Oct 2011
janusjanus
Rated 11 Sep 2011
70
51st
A little too wacky for a straight doc but doesn't take enough steps in that direction to become a "film essay" like Koyaanisqatsi or F for Fake. Still, the paintings and the cave are fantastic, and captured well. I wasn't able to see it in 3d, which I gather is an essential part of the experience for once.
Rated 11 Sep 2011
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 13 Feb 2016
75
89th
Excellent.
Rated 13 Feb 2016
armondwhiteArmondWhite
Rated 12 May 2011
5
0th
Leave it to Werner Herzog to find a use for 3D technology that isn't part of some gimmick to hoodwink kids of all ages.
Rated 12 May 2011
mandymandy
Rated 27 Mar 2014
6
44th
Memorable and insightful - wonderfully narrated and directed by Herzog.
Rated 27 Mar 2014
danastevensdanastevens
Rated 30 Nov 2012
100
97th
If you're interested in the history of the human race-if you're a member of the human race-you owe it to yourself to see this movie.
Rated 30 Nov 2012
aph002Aph002
Rated 09 Nov 2022
6
25th
Interesting and evocative, but with so few answers or insights, it should have been shorter.
Rated 09 Nov 2022
trixrabbiTrixRabbi
Rated 05 Mar 2012
70
31st
Very slow, very dry. The cave is amazing, but it feels like Herzog is treading water far too often. It honestly would have worked much better as a short.
Rated 05 Mar 2012
caimancaiman
Rated 22 Jun 2011
86
82nd
A beautiful movie, visually and thematically. I dislike 3D, but this was an exception. The depth and curvature of the amazing walls came to life with the effect. Hopefully this film will serve as precedent of the potential artistic merits of 3D.
Rated 22 Jun 2011
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 18 Jun 2013
70
75th
Saw this in 2d unfortunately, but it's pretty great anyway. I'm no longer sure why I ever doubted that Herzog would be capable of getting an engaging hour and a half out of a single cave. He does foray into scientists' speculations about paleolithic Europe in general, and generally pursues everything these cave paintings might make you wonder.
Rated 18 Jun 2013
chemtrailschemtrails
Rated 12 Nov 2011
80
90th
Glad I watched this
Rated 12 Nov 2011
bakcheiabakcheia
Rated 24 Apr 2012
85
77th
Very slow, but rewarding.
Rated 24 Apr 2012
ieuandpIeuanDP
Rated 23 Apr 2019
75
67th
Watched in 2D. Restricted, but a classic Herzog doc in that he overlooks the tendency to humble you with scientific jargon & statistics, choosing to explore the human condition. Like how does it feel to be isolated in a space that's been preserved for 40,000 years, and how does it shape our dreams? You really get the sense that time gets distorted for the people who work there, and as amazing as the artwork is, that temporal dislocation/the universality of the spirit are the real focal points.
Rated 23 Apr 2019
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 30 Dec 2011
7
61st
Narrative is shapeless and overlong, but its subject matter, presentations and the expected insights and ruminations of Herzog make an interesting journey, which includes a final silent montage of astounding power and beauty.
Rated 30 Dec 2011
mike365365mike365365
Rated 13 Mar 2017
50
15th
I usually love Werner Herzog. This was boring.
Rated 13 Mar 2017
valixValix
Rated 30 May 2011
90
87th
For an archeology geek like me, Cave of forgotten dreams was an unforgettable experience and no one could've done it better than Werner Herzog.
Rated 30 May 2011
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 06 Aug 2013
41
56th
Better than whatever documentary's on the teevee right now, I guess. Ending was excellent.
Rated 06 Aug 2013

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