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Even Dwarfs Started Small
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Even Dwarfs Started Small

1970
Drama
Horror
1h 36m
The inhabitants of an institution in a remote country rebel against their keepers. Their acts of rebellion are by turns humorous, boring and alarming. (imdb)
Directed by:
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog
Written by:
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog
Starring:
Helmut Döring Helmut Döring Gerd Gickel Paul Glauer Erna Gschwendtner Pepi Hermine Gisela Hertwig
More
Genres:
Drama, Horror
AKA:
Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen
Country:
West Germany
Language:
German
imdb More information at IMDb
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Even Dwarfs Started Small

1970
Drama
Horror
1h 36m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 55.93% from 511 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(510)
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waddayanutswaddayanuts
Rated 27 Nov 2011
75
64th
This is what Gremlins would look like if it were made by Buñuel.
Rated 27 Nov 2011
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 02 Nov 2015
5
42nd
A film in which Werner Herzog's contempt for chickens is at its most obvious.
Rated 02 Nov 2015
lintonmyroxylintonmyroxy
Rated 04 Feb 2021
85
51st
I see why this is Harmony Korine's favorite movie
Rated 04 Feb 2021
hawkinsHawkins
Rated 10 Jun 2021
72
50th
"Look at their little tragedies, their little triumphs. There is no joke yet they laugh, there is no god yet they mock" - not really Herzog but I'm working on the impression
Rated 10 Jun 2021
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 07 Feb 2007
84
81st
I was certain I wouldn't like this movie, and yet I found myself entranced by the weirdness of it all. There may be little point to it all (one could say it makes some observations about sanity, or freedom, but that'd be a stretch) but it's so entertainingly odd, and beautifully photographed, that it's a pleasure to watch.
Rated 07 Feb 2007
eveeluneveelun
Rated 30 Jan 2007
70
42nd
Daring and provocative, but ultimately I didn't really get a lot out of it; the amount of animal abuse in this film was also a bit too much for me to handle.
Rated 30 Jan 2007
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 21 Jan 2009
24
0th
This film is undoubtedly the product of an acid flashback, and is about as entertaining as stirring oatmeal for three hours. It does, however, prove a point; no matter how bad an actor you are, if you're a dwarf you can always get a job in film.
Rated 21 Jan 2009
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
98th
A bizarre and utterly unique movie, and one of Herzog's best.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
jimmynmujimmynmu
Rated 21 Jan 2007
94
96th
Unforgetable and chaotic, only Herzog could make a film like this. Full of strange events and characters that entertain, this is really fine absurdism. The score is excellent too.
Rated 21 Jan 2007
rocketluccoRocketlucco
Rated 21 Jul 2009
0
0th
This movie is what they have on loop in the 9th level of hell.
Rated 21 Jul 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 11 Jul 2007
100
99th
A bizarre film entirely about the antics of rebellious midgets. A lesser filmmaker would surely have turned this into something distasteful or a stupid allegory, but Herzog invests incredible sensitivity, attention to detail and general cinematic prowess, and the result is astounding. The acting, photography and music are perfect. It's a one-of-a-kind movie and I can guarentee you'll never see anything like it.
Rated 11 Jul 2007
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 27 Jul 2013
62
14th
There's certainly something pointed about the controlled chaos that slowly escalates throughout the film, but the insanity seems to take priority over any thematic depth. It's frustrating too because there's some wonderful imagery going to waste. I was also bothered by all the animal abuse going on; It, and some of the other stunts, are indicative of Herzog's reckless nature, and while that can be one of his more endearing features, a lot of it felt mean spirited and uninspired here.
Rated 27 Jul 2013
somewhatitaySomewhatItay
Rated 16 Oct 2007
87
95th
My favorite Herzog film, and one that is better experienced than explained.
Rated 16 Oct 2007
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 31 Oct 2013
80
68th
The joke wore thin after a while, and then, like all good jokes, it started to be funny again. Pure, uninhibited chaos. Every scene involving the chickens made my skin crawl.
Rated 31 Oct 2013
edkrakedkrak
Rated 08 Jul 2009
50
30th
Rebellious dwarfs having some fun - that's a cool and weird idea. But that's not interesting to watch for over 90 minutes considering there's hardly any plot and I can't see any point of it.
Rated 08 Jul 2009
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 21 Jan 2011
9
92nd
Very out there and definitely classic Herzog material. A particular drawf's laugh is going to stay with me for quite some time.
Rated 21 Jan 2011
drumnddrumnd
Rated 11 May 2007
77
57th
...so surreal...so surreal.
Rated 11 May 2007
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 20 Jul 2018
50
33rd
I get the intention to depict anarchy in a way to comment on society's hypocrisy towards dwarfs. But I just couldn't connect with it. So loud and hysterical. Total mayhem through laughing, breaking things and even mock crucifixing a monkey.
Rated 20 Jul 2018
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 22 Apr 2010
3
45th
I've been a little skeptical and apprehensive about this film, but it was a pleasant surprise. It's not the big gimmick I was expecting it to be. I may not completely understand it, but the surrealism pushes all the right buttons for me. Fascinating stuff.
Rated 22 Apr 2010
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 02 Dec 2010
78
82nd
Aimless and absurd, but it works. I'm no animal rights activist by any stretch of the imagination but the crucified monkey and dead pig scenes knock this down a few points and keep it out of Tier 9. I could, however, listen to Hombre laugh for days. I'll probably dream (or nightmare?) about that laugh.
Rated 02 Dec 2010
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 09 Jul 2007
2
33rd
Watched for completion because I like Herzog, but certainly not one of my favorites. I can appreciate what he's trying to do (per his own description) but the film never really takes off for me. It feels more aimless than chaotic and I think some of it could have been left on the editting room floor (do we really need Hombre laughing at a freaking camel for 10 minutes?) Disappointing.
Rated 09 Jul 2007
k177105k177105
Rated 15 Jan 2024
91
78th
The absurdity of insanity running counter to the absurdity of power discourse. One wonders if Herzog seriously had any political intention here, or whether, to try too hard to read it politically would be to get into exactly the ridicule that caught the seriously infuriated, futilely terrified, power-obsessed instructor, while the dwarfs threw it all back to him with their gleeful, carefree, comic, mischievous carnival, shriekingly laughing, "we're just enjoying our right to have some fun here!"
Rated 15 Jan 2024
macswellMacSwell
Rated 15 Mar 2017
85
87th
Instead of establishing any kind of coherent narrative, Herzog simply captures the anarchic antics of a number of mad, mischievous midgets living in an isolated compound. It's an inspired piece of filmmaking, wholly unique and replete with unforgettable imagery, which somehow succeeds without deriding its diminutive cast. The flagrant animal cruelty is all rather unpleasant though.
Rated 15 Mar 2017
dorkovskyDorkovsky
Rated 29 Jan 2008
10
99th
Hypnotic. So bizarre and surreal, and Herzog's incredible ability to create whole new unique worlds is at its best here. Highly rewatchable.
Rated 29 Jan 2008
pilgermannpilgermann
Rated 06 Feb 2007
90
94th
Absolutely crazy and bizarre but it's a great and singular movie experience. Somehow all of this madness works.
Rated 06 Feb 2007
jellyscudsJellyscuds
Rated 12 Sep 2010
60
61st
Disturbing but compelling viewing.
Rated 12 Sep 2010
valenzettiValenzetti
Rated 27 Nov 2011
94
95th
One of the clearest examples of Herzog's favorite adjective: "ecstatic", as the surface of the film continuously erupts with intensities. Beautiful and terrifying.
Rated 27 Nov 2011
neonmanNeonman
Rated 19 Aug 2013
73
46th
Well, I give it points for its originality, as well as its vague thematic content. Often amusingly weird without over-doing it, but oddly enough sometimes a bit dull and grating. Would make a good date movie.
Rated 19 Aug 2013
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 29 Jul 2015
70
19th
In his commentary, Herzog says that this movie makes Aguirre look like kindergarten. That's about right. Nightmarish and hellish in equal measure.
Rated 29 Jul 2015
pierretheronPierreTheron
Rated 25 Oct 2010
90
69th
An adjusted look at general madness. What occurs within Even Dwarfs Started Small is a collection of absurdity, a revelry of the unusual and an assortment of the sublimely odd. There's little in here that does not entertain, and when those segments which do not entertain serve to establish an unusual tone for the film. Nothing goes without purpose, while it can be argued whether or not the film truly has a purpose it's besides the point, as the film is very Lynchian in its circus of atmosphere.
Rated 25 Oct 2010
obdurateObdurate
Rated 26 Jul 2008
95
97th
This movie makes me conflicted. There's blatant animal abuse but it's such a well made film. Does showing animal abuse to make a point make it right? The dwarfs are ripping apart the very world that mocks them. Their acts of rebellion are sometimes boring, sometimes funny, sometimes clever, and the movie challenges you in that way. It's not an easy watch but it's a rewarding one.
Rated 26 Jul 2008
hotsakehotsake
Rated 23 May 2023
60
51st
A mildly amusing film, but nothing more than that.
Rated 23 May 2023
yiannosYiannos
Rated 03 Jun 2019
78
89th
Difficult to read politically. Is it a critique of the folly of 60's anti-authoritianism, which inevitably led society astray, or a quasi-Hobbesian critique of 'pure freedom'? Either way, it clearly ran counter to the fashionable thought of the time, and Herzog's ability to draw extraordinarily naturalistic and odd performances from non-actors is on full display. Hombre's constant cackling is curiously infectious, and the finale involving him and a camel is strangely resonant.
Rated 03 Jun 2019
elmakebabielmakebabi
Rated 23 May 2012
70
64th
Chicken's struggle for food was funny. And the final sequence is epic!
Rated 23 May 2012
1197mm1197mm
Rated 07 Jul 2008
85
29th
I laugh so much that I spit blood.
Rated 07 Jul 2008
farzanFarzan
Rated 06 May 2007
84
81st
The first time I saw this film, it was something I truly did not know what to think of. It was the Eraserhead of German cinema, but after a repeat viewing, and an understanding of Herzog's work, it was extremely entertaining, and definitely more understandable. Great Herzog.
Rated 06 May 2007
m3tanm3tan
Rated 05 May 2014
30
19th
Perhaps the most bizarre film I've ever gone out of my way to see. I actually hated it but because my PSI says I should like it and I have tremendous respect for Herzog I can't give it a zero. It is some form of art - just not good IMO.
Rated 05 May 2014
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 03 Mar 2020
0
0th
Every single fucking frame is designed with maximum effort to get under your skin: the unending high-pitched cackling, the equally unending dreadful same two songs on loop, the bored trope of using little people in the name of ~surrealism~, the endless scenes of animal abuse. Claims of Absurdist Genius are properly mirrored in shots of a camel shitting, so there's at least that. Anyway, Herzog is an effective troll and a great imagiste, but he can go fuck himself.
Rated 03 Mar 2020
phantom_nookPhantom Nook
Rated 01 Dec 2016
70
33rd
Very strange movie. I actually ended up fast forwarding through certain parts (you know the ones), but I can't hate it.
Rated 01 Dec 2016
riririzriririz
Rated 17 Mar 2020
75
35th
Too much chaos and too stretched out than the content.
Rated 17 Mar 2020
jeffvjeff_v
Rated 20 Oct 2017
52
10th
Maaaaybe a little too much cackling for my tastes.
Rated 20 Oct 2017
iqcumberiqcumber
Rated 08 Aug 2021
73
65th
Hmm. Something about appearances/realities, civilization/chaos, adults/children. Hmm.
Rated 08 Aug 2021
glm01glm01
Rated 05 Oct 2013
85
83rd
84.500
Rated 05 Oct 2013
dtortumdtortum
Rated 17 Aug 2013
85
47th
such a strange experience
Rated 17 Aug 2013
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 12 Nov 2013
6
83rd
a completely ludicrous and insane film, seemingly about a bunch of midgets who rapaciously take advantage of their freedom from oppressive institutional authority. bizarre in every way.
Rated 12 Nov 2013
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 15 May 2020
85
78th
Os Anões Também Começaram Pequenos estreava há 50 anos no Festival de Cannes. "Werner Herzog promised the cast he would jump into a field of cactuses if they managed to pull through the movie. Eventually, he fulfilled his promise." Acho que esse é uma bela metáfora para esse filme. Rá! Isso aqui é basicamente uma mistura de Jean Vigo com David Lynch, só que dirigido pelo Herzog - sim, é bom nesse nível. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 15 May 2020
princemuchaoprincemuchao
Rated 10 Nov 2011
78
64th
Herzog's extremely weird film opens with the most irritating music in the world. The entire cast consists of dwarves - Herzog even found a little Miss Kinski! I think they are supposed to be inmates in a mental institution that rebelled. Now that they can do anything they want, they have no clue what to do. This one might be TOO weird to enjoy alone... it should be watched with others I think. I have no clue what to rate it so I am just hitting my number pad a couple times and going with that.
Rated 10 Nov 2011
baggerBagger
Rated 11 Aug 2012
78
74th
.. but then can end with something big.
Rated 11 Aug 2012
guvolefouguvolefou
Rated 03 Nov 2014
83
85th
Tabii burada derin derin okumalara girmeyeceğim ama Herzog'un kurduğu tamamı cücelerden oluşan mikrokozmos, gücün, anarşinin, kaosun insan zihnindeki yerlerini harika bir şekilde yansıtıyor.
Rated 03 Nov 2014
amerigoamerigo
Rated 02 Oct 2007
78
53rd
Like a modern Lynch film (only without the unnerving emotional intensity), the viewer is alienated and is forced to dwell in the images; it's a shame that only a handful of them carry any visually engaging qualities. It has a strong sense of artistic purpose, but it just seems strung together haphazardly. In a nutshell, it just never reaches it's full potential.
Rated 02 Oct 2007
glmglm
Rated 17 Jan 2011
84
77th
83.750
Rated 17 Jan 2011
caimancaiman
Rated 12 May 2010
91
94th
An allegory about imprisonment and the savage nature of humans when given total freedom? I guess. But more ostensibly the movie is demented, bizarre, and uncompromisingly honest. Like these little people are spilling their souls for Herzog and the audience. The movie is disturbing in a way I've never experienced before. There is something deeply disconcerting about watching Hombre standing and chuckling at a kneeling camel for three minutes. It strikes a chord in me that has never been struck.
Rated 12 May 2010
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 01 Feb 2021
75
50th
A chaotic and absurdist Lord of the Flies with little people destroying shit. The kind of thing you watch late at night with trashy snacks or while intoxicated. It's entertaining and brilliantly shot and I'd probably rate it higher if it didn't feel exploitative. There's also some scenes of animal abuse that seem unnecessary.
Rated 01 Feb 2021
auritechauritech
Rated 16 May 2007
54
43rd
I appreciate Herzog at his weirdest. I really do. But there was an underlying disturbing aspect of this film that really got to me. As Herzog describes, this certainly is a film of "wildest nightmares," and the relentless nature of its insanity was a bit too much for me to "enjoy." If you can put it that way.
Rated 16 May 2007
vesupriavesupria
Rated 19 Aug 2010
8
88th
Herzog filters our perception of reality through dense levels of absurdity and farcical situations. The dwarves are rebellious, cunning, indignant... and at times gleeful, either way they seem to become more and more carefree as they break their bonds of institutionalisation via acts of increasing violence and destruction. There are some truly remarkable shots here. We are forced to look at ourselves through the mirror of the sublime, and the results are ever so suprising.
Rated 19 Aug 2010
ribcageribcage
Rated 20 Nov 2016
67
50th
I suppose i was disappointed by expecting an explosion of madness and receiving instead a very very slow simmer. Certainly not my style overall, though i enjoyed the truck scenes and that very final scene broke me into psychotic laugher.
Rated 20 Nov 2016
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 22 May 2010
90
92nd
This was so weird.
Rated 22 May 2010
aceysaid10AceySaid10%
Rated 14 Jul 2014
80
49th
Juh?
Rated 14 Jul 2014
bofbof
Rated 18 Nov 2011
71
62nd
Heavy on symbolism and imagery, short (sorry) on plot and character; mankind breaks free of its cruel prison and proceeds to destroy and torture. At times disturbing, hilarious or both, but I have a feeling Herzog said much the same to better effect in Aguirre.
Rated 18 Nov 2011
three-questions_ii???
Rated 18 Apr 2015
89
91st
Very puzzling.
Rated 18 Apr 2015
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 25 Jul 2013
45
60th
Completely concur with user PeaceAnarchy's review.
Rated 25 Jul 2013

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