Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog (writer)

Release Date:

7 October 1999 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

In the 1950s, when Werner Herzog was 13, he was sharing an apartment with Klaus Kinski, an ego-maniacal live-wire...

Plot Keywords:

Native American | Insult | Director | Forest | Behind The Scenes

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Werner Herzog	...	Himself - Narrator / Interviewer (also archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Isabelle Adjani	...	Lucy Harker (archive footage)
Claudia Cardinale	...	Herself (also archive footage)
Justo González	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Mick Jagger	...	Himself - Wilbur (archive footage)
Klaus Kinski	...	Himself (archive footage)
Eva Mattes	...	Herself (also archive footage)
Benino Moreno Placido	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Beat Presser	...	Himself (archive footage)
Guillermo Ríos	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jason Robards	...	Fitzcarraldo (archive footage)
Walter Saxer	...	Himself (archive footage)
Maximilian Schell	...	Himself - Deserteur (archive footage)
Andrés Vicente	...	Himself (archive footage)

Also Known As:

25. tunti: Klaus Kinski (Finland) (TV title)
Mein liebster Feind (Germany) (short title)
My Best Fiend (Europe: English title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Finland | USA

Language:

German | English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Singapore:PG | Spain:T

Company:

Arte

Quotes:

Werner Herzog: Every grey hair on my head, I call Kinski.

Movie Connections:

Features Burden of Dreams (1982)

An actor's life

Werner Herzog's brilliant documentary about his friend Klaus Kinski gives us an insight into the troubled life of this great actor who gave his all to whatever films he elected to appear in. Mr. Herzog offers a different account on Mr. Kinski, who could be infuriating in his egomania, which seems to be at the center of the story. However, one only sees glimpses of the man who could be charming and who could be generous to his fellow actors.

Having met Mr. Kinski on two occasions, we only saw a charismatic man in a relaxed atmosphere. It appears the pressures of making a film propelled the actor into a frenzy that comes out clearly in what Mr. Herzog is showing us in the documentary. Mr. Kinski was probably his own worst enemy because his sense of pride in the role he was portraying took the best out of him. Therefore the hysterics and the fights with his director and the crew, notably the aggression on Justo Gonzalez's head, while playing a violent scene that could have killed him.

On the other hand we catch some of the soft side of the actor as we hear a loving account by Eva Mattes, who played with Mr. Kinski in "Woyzek". Also Claudia Cardinale shares some vivid memories with the director as she recounts her experience with Mr. Kinski while filming "Fitzcarraldo".

The film is an important document, as it illustrates the spirit of a man that was unique in his own madness. Mr. Herzog's shows clearly this actor was a man possessed whenever he played a role in front of a camera. Because of the document we feel enlightened somewhat in having known the man that gave movie fans his best and more.