Heart of Glass (1976)
"Herz aus Glas" (original title)

The foreman of a small village glassworks dies without revealing the secret to the famous "Ruby Glass".

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Herbert Achternbusch, Werner Herzog

Stars:

Josef Bierbichler, Stefan Güttler, Clemens Scheitz

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Josef Bierbichler	...	Hias
Stefan Güttler	...	Huttenbesitzer
Clemens Scheitz	...	Adalbert
Sonja Skiba	...	Ludmilla
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wolf Albrecht
Thomas Binkley
Janos Fischer
Wilhelm Friedrich
Edith Gratz
Alois Hruschka
Egmont Hugel
Amad Ibn Ghassem Nadij
Sterling Jones
Karl Kaufmann
Brunhilde Klöckner

Storyline

A small village is renowned for its "Ruby Glass" glass blowing works. When the foreman of the works dies suddenly without revealing the secret of the Ruby Glass, the town slides into a deep depression, and the owner of the glassworks becomes obssessed with the lost secret.

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Plot Keywords:

hypnotized cast | mountain | glass blower | glass making | experimental film | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

17 December 1976 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Heart of Glass

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The majority of the actors (with the exception of Hias and the glass blowers) were actually hypnotized by Werner Herzog and perform under hypnosis on screen.

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Connections

Featured in Werner Herzog Filmemacher (1986)

User Reviews

this does come with an accompanying conversation with the director

This is a beautifully made film and is indeed beautiful to look at. The landscapes, manipulated and natural are awe inspiring and the interiors almost painterly. However, it is undeniably slow. It is also unworldly. We have a peasant making rather odd prophesies and a cast, acting under hypnosis, responding or not as the mood takes them. Certainly a very different cinema experience but a little wayward and unfocused for my liking. I have to say, though, thanks to the wonder of DVDs, this does come with an accompanying conversation with the director. Watching the commentary track is for me a far more engaging and satisfying experience. Enjoyable too! Herzog is simply marvellous in giving full explanations in instances such as the circumstances of the hypnosis and totally uncooperative when the questioning gets a bit close to seeking 'the answer'. I always hate it when an artist is asked to interpret his work (as if there would be any point in it if it can be fully explained another way) and here Herzog slaps down his interviewer on several occasions. Quite right. Well worth watching/listening for an alternative view on the art of film.