Stroszek (1977)

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In Berlin, an alcoholic man, recently released from prison, joins his elderly friend and a prostitute in a determined dream to leave Germany and seek a better life in Wisconsin. (imdb)

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Directed By: Werner Herzog

Written By: Werner Herzog

Starring: Eva Mattes, Burkhard Driest, Wilhelm von Homburg, Bruno S., Clemens Scheitz, Clayton Szalpinski

Genres: Comedy, Drama

AKA: Stroszek: A Ballad

Country: West Germany

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Stroszek belongs to 47 collections

1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 232 stars)

2. Roger Ebert: Great Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 80 stars)

3. Existential films (collaborative: moderated by frederic_g54 - 55 stars)

4. Fuck my life (collaborative: moderated by Dorkovsky - 38 stars)

5. Rotten Tomatoes - over 95% (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 32 stars)

6. New York Times' The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 31 stars)

7. Best of criticker: Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 26 stars)

8. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

9. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)

10. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)

11. Doubling The Canon (collaborative - 13 stars)

12. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 13 stars)

13. Criticker top 250 (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 11 stars)

14. New German Cinema (collaborative: moderated by lucbapt - 10 stars)

15. Prostitution (collaborative: moderated by Moribunny - 7 stars)

16. Doubling The Canon (2010 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 5 stars)

17. Capsules, guest reviews, list candidates... (366weirdmovies) (collaborative: moderated by sesito71 - 4 stars)

18. Films that broaden your horizon (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 4 stars)

19. Average Percentile >70 (collaborative: moderated by peyrin - 4 stars)

20. Djross great movies (public: djross - 4 stars)

21. Djross film as art (public: djross - 3 stars)

22. IMDb Top of The 1970's (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)

23. Werner Herzog, Fiction feature films (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 2 stars)

24. Films listed as Harmony Korine's favorites. (public: karamazov. - 2 stars)

25. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)

26. Doubling the Canon (2012 update) (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 1 star)

27. Top Film of Each Year (public: Judge Holden - 1 star)

28. 1: Must-see (Not in English) (public: KasperL - 1 star)

29. Roger Ebert's Top 10 Films of 1978 (collaborative)

30. Immigration (collaborative: moderated by iceblox)

31. Djross 1977 top ten (public: djross)

32. 1977: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

33. to watch [TG] (public: teckgecko)

34. Kerc's Top 25 (public: Kerc)

35. My collection (public: pitkju2)

36. Peliculas que tengo (public: escarta)

37. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 24 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

38. Movies to See: Herzog (public: Lord Moe)

39. Movies I Own (public: Farzan)

40. karamazov's dvd/vhs collection. (public: karamazov.)

41. KENDELL'S MASSIVE LIST (public: kendell)

42. 5x10 Project 2 (public: kendell)

43. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)

44. Djross German feature films I've seen (public: djross)

45. Blu-Rays (public: katatonic)

46. Djross non-English-language feature film of the year (public: djross)

47. Non-Professional Actors : entirely or mostly (public: Thegoodboy)

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All Ratings | With Reviews

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
13	Moribunny	100 _99th
Herzog is the heavy artillery of New German Cinema, he is most readily associated with all things larger-than-life, like volcanoes and raving lunatics. Stroszek is a movie that's just as small as life, and what do you know - Herzog does just as well in dealing with simple people as do Fassbinder or Wenders, that is, brilliantly. It's a highly original, spellbinding, utterly harrowing tale about the doomed sort of people who just can't get along in this world. S. and Scheitz are astonishing.
9	Suture Self	8 _81st
It's sad to think plenty of people live the lives of Bruno and Eva everyday; aloof, disconnected and confused as to why our world isn't working out for them.
6	arkadia	91 _89th
I normally don't like to have all the happiness and hope beaten out of me, but Herzog made all my seat-squirming worthwhile with oddly appropriate music, great conversations based on language gaps (even when they speak the same language), and unconventional symbolism. With so much animal magnetism, I'd let Herzog beat me up any day ^_~.
5	jimmynmu	94 _96th
This heartbreaking story (which was quite similar to Bruno's life) evokes strong emotion. It doesn't get as strange as Herzog's other films (atleast untill the last quarter), but the genuine sincerity behind Bruno is quite effective. Stroszek has a documentry feel to it, it is basically Herzog's window into the life of Bruno S. It is both touching and bizarre. My favourite part of the film is when Bruno performed in the empty alley, it was one of Herzog's finest moments.
5	GravyMaximus	100 _99th
We can't stop the dancing chicken
4	Nathan S	5 _93rd
An unusual trio, headed by Bruno S. playing essentially himself, realize the American Dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. People read a critique of capitalism in this, but it seems to me Herzog is tackling broader ideas. Its tone is strange, stretching from comedic to tragic, but ultimately cynicism prevails as time and again Bruno's hopes are crushed. There is such a level of sincerity here that it almost feels like documentary, thanks to authentic performances and a spare sense of style.
4	Farzan	93 _94th
Herzog created something very special here. The cinematography is absolutely amazing(I believe i've said that for every Herzog movie), and Bruno S. is fantastic as well as Scheitz and Mattes. This movie contains a pace that is perfect from start to finish, and one of the most bizzarre endings you'll ever see. Stroszek is worth a look, and nobody will be dissapointed.
4	hehejaja	100 _99th
Words become more hollow than ever.
4	karamazov.	66 _87th
I've made an important discovery about animal magnetism!
3	Pickpocket	7 _68th
I wish there was more stuff with Clemens Scheitz, guy was awesome. Bruno S. wasn't as interesting to watch as a lot of people say, he was aight, nothing special (he's no Kinski). I was expecting more (PSI 97). I thought it was good but it just didn't blow me away.
3	Optimus_mike	90 _90th
Another wonderful and oddly compelling movie from Herzog. This time we have a much more down to earth style of storytelling but no less complex and layered then his other narratives. The tragic downfall of Bruno in America and the somewhat better fate of Eva just felt a little to real at times. Best moments for me were the two farmers carrying their guns as they plow their land, The drunk rant of Nazism and America, and of course the bizarre ending that is both equally tragic and ludicrous.
3	1qw3er5	9 _91st
Reportedly led Ian Curtis to suicide. I didn't think it was nearly that bad.
3	Hawkins	72 _49th
Guys, you can't just say this movie made Ian Curtis kill himself because it happened to be the last thing he watched. That's like finding Mr. Bean in Kurt Cobain's VCR and calling it the final straw.
2	MartinTeller	77 _61st
Bruno S.'s acting style (or lack of one) worked perfectly for Kaspar Hauser, but here it's distracting. It actually kind of feels like a love letter to Bruno (and Herzog's commentary supports this notion). He tends to find these weird characters who can't act very well (fortunately, Kinski can). It's not that bad... at worst it's just kind of slow and pointless.
2	Alex Watkins	4 _70th
Strange and strangely touching. It's one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen, but the events aren't just random images tossed on the screen; there's a purpose to everything Herzog does and it makes for an incredibly unique experience. And you gotta love a movie that ends with a dancing chicken.
2	joseywales	90 _97th
I bet Jim Jarmusch has seen this film at least 100 times. This film is all about Bruno S and it barely suffers for it, he's absolutely wonderful here especially in the scenes with the bank man.
2	weirdyoda	91 _88th
Funny and sad, this is great and weird. Greatest ending sequence ever.
2	TedDedon	92 _88th
Excellent acting with a sad story, Stroszek is one of Herzog's most effective and most captivating. Bruno S. alone in this has one of the better performances I've seen and it's wholly heartbreaking to see how bad his life really is.
2	hellsditch	83 _77th
An old man, a drunk and a beaten-down prostitute trade in their dead-end existence in Berlin for the boundless promise of...Wisconsin? But before long, the drunk and ex-prostitute both have respectable new jobs and a new mobile home. They've "made it". HaHa. Just kidding. Life in the US slowly erodes their misguided belief that better days lie ahead (Bruno's "fine print" speech is fantastic) as things quickly fall apart for all three. Can a farce also be emotionally devastating? Apparently, yes.
2	Obdurate	95 _97th
It's what you expect from Herzog. Amazing cinematography, a great plot/script, some moments of oddness and lots of sincerity. An incredible ending as well.
2	Bmunise	97 _91st
I'll never look at a frozen turkey the same way again.
2	moraesfelipe	75 _80th
So bizarre yet so mundane. Herzog's ultimate tragicomedy finds the weirdest loser possible into the realms of the American (lost) dream as he loses everything he's got -- girl, who's always been a prostitute, and his mobile home. Couldn't care less about the plot. But the amount of crazy material is just out of this world: the auctioner talking fast, the barbershop robbery, the shop of animals doing crazy stuff (like chicken dancing or playing the piano).
2	M_A	93 _98th
The dancing chicken is the one of the greatest endings in film history.
2	Rocketlucco	35 _19th
Overall Enjoyment: 0/40, Plot/Themes: 10/20, Cinematography/Direction: 15/20, Acting/Writing: 10/20 Werner Herzog movie about a man who moves to America for a better life only to find it doesn't fulfill his dreams. The plot and theme were well defined, but the movie itself was just plain boring. No character or scene was compelling and the movie failed at making me care about the character or his plight.
2	jonnykungfu	70 _54th
Bleak, hopeless, and ultimately kinda boring film about immigration and the American dream. I love Herzog and was hoping to love this film, but I found myself looking at how long I had left every five minutes. The characters left me cold and the pacing was like molasses. However, I appreciate its style, with some experimental and compelling shots and love for the unconventional. It's worth watching if only just for the incredible ending.
2	bof	83 _90th
Classic Herzog, so depressing Ian Curtis hung himself after seeing it. Bruno S makes me uneasy; you're never quite sure how much of it is acting and how much is, um, "outsider" art. But it's a beautifully made piece, the American dream built by people bringing all their old nightmares, opening up possibilities only to turn inward and shut them down again, and seeming to address exactly what irks me about it - how much of it is Stroszek's problem, and how much is society using him?
2	thehynes	40 _12th
I seem to be in the minority but hell, it's as dull as ditchwater
2	IeuanDP	95 _96th
A film written specifically for Bruno S. Herzog contests the idea that it's a critique of the American Dream. He describes it as being a film about shattered dreams, and it seems like he's trying to express the universality of this - how there can be something intrinsic or inevitable about despair. When you consider how much of the film really reflects Bruno's life, it's extremely poignant, but still tempered with Herzog's unique absurdity & levity. The madness of the last 10 minutes makes it.
2	dardan	93 _96th
A tale about how misunderstanding the world, its inhabitants and the self implies miscommunication and, subsequently, a bleak state of loneliness and despair. Lost in the world, the inhabitants of Stroszeks universe seek to reach the end of a road they don't know the location of. We see them try and fail various paths and we see them try and fail paths they have taken before in a way that only sends them adrift, farther into the dark with every step they take.
1	anderton	100 _98th
Motherfucker x2
1	gleeb	69 _32nd
Too much seems randomly inserted, and Bruno seems like a blank wall that I can't get anything out of.
1	PeaceAnarchy	86 _84th
Wonderful examination of the American dream as both an ideal and a harsh reality, told as only Herzog can, with bits of wry humour and an offbeat tone. The performances are very real and engage the viewer with the character even at a few places the pacing is on the slow side.
1	caiman	84 _75th
A sad, funny, bizarre movie. Bruno S. is such a unique actor. He's good here, but unlike Kasper Hauser, here his performance (if it can be called that) is just a bit "off." But then maybe that's the point. Either way the movie strikes all the right notes at the right times to make it quite unforgettable. That dancing chicken will never, ever leave my mind.
1	vesupria	8 _88th
An insane look into the delusions of the American dream that only Herzog could conjure up. Only he could end a film with such vivid, intoxicating imagery. The prevailing mood is like no other, and the way that it sways, whilst keeping the underlying tone is mystifying.
1	sebby	90 _98th
Emotionally crushing. Brutal, really. It's unique and strange and the ending is just stunning.
1	adrian	60 _72nd
A bit contrived at times, but compelling throughout. The story is predictably bleak, with many poignant moments, but also some laugh-out-loud ones.
1	Manhatta	98 _94th
If it's true that Ian Curtis killed himself as the credits rolled to Stroszek, I can understand why. No, it's not the annoying music at the end, but the devastating story that slowly unfolds. As Bruno S. has small triumph after small triumph, you almost miss the fact that he's ultimately in a terrible situation that is doomed from the start. The scene with the man from the bank is my favorite; Herzog is great with using non-actors and this is the prime example.
1	Teorema	99 _94th
This movie revels in its own oddness. I love that. A film whose tragedy is presented in the lightest way possible.
1	Luna6ix	81 _77th
Bruno's strange demeanor and odd mannerisms may have been a benefit in "Kaspar Hauser", but in this movie it only serves to make a less realistic movie. Where Bruno S. fails, Herzog truly shines. There is some truly amazing directing, and cinematography. Some of the American actors are lacking, but all the German ones (Bruno aside) are fantastic; and I loved the ending.
1	Tomhet	10 _98th
A fiercely political film that rarely presents itself as such. Also proof that Herzog can do low-key realism just as well as a master like Fassbinder.
1	Neonman	58 _13th
The surreal realism (that culminates at the end and is emphasised in the final lines) is oddly amusing or tragic to witness. But all the misfortunes that occur to the main character(s) are consequences of their own wrongdoings, making their anti-Capitalism and anti-American dream statements idealistic and deceiving.
1	omgfridge	10 _97th
Strangely funny tear jerking story with great acting from nobodies, superb cinematography and a dancing chicken to end it all? Must be another masterpiece from Werner Herzog.
1	FunkyAstro	100 _99th
Probably one of the most depressing things I'll ever watch.
1	PierreTheron	95 _84th
It's slowing movie poetry. It's observational and not profound. It's regular and without absurdity, but it's completely and undeniably human. Watching Stroszek is watching a man decay and it's harrowing to the utmost extreme. The best of the Bruno-Herzog collaborations, Stroszek is one of Herzog's simpler works, but it's also one of his more memorable, and the scene with the premature babies - Jesus, there's not much that can be said for how powerful and moving it is. Required viewing.
1	Svengali	80 _86th
I watched this for a second time just now and I still think it's a great film, I think though that it has its lows and not everything works. I don't care much for Eva's story in Berlin - everything seems to get better and better as it goes on even if there are some wonderful scenes in the beginning as well. The ending is one of my absolute favorites also. There's some great laughs of black comedy if you have an eye for it.
1	lisa-	7 _92nd
some old dude, a prostitute and a kind-hearted but socially inept character are brutally bullied by some assholes in berlin, so decide to head off to wisconsin for a better life. certainly about the american dream, but probably best generalised to life in general: things aren't necessarily greener on the other side. bizarre film as most of herzog's stuff is.
1	JSchlansky	97 _97th
Joy Division just got more relatable
1	backwardsuit	89 _96th
A ballad indeed. Ever since the Herzog-frenzy of my late teens I've been saving this one like my existence somehow depended on there still being a film by Him to discover. Don't know why I finally did it but I'm now going to need x amount of time to rethink my life before reviewing this. Otherwise I'll just end up reviewing my forever girlish infatuation with Herzog's cinema.

Average Percentile 74.09% from 1118 Ratings