This is not a spoiler as it reveals little more than what is included in the original trailer.
As "Beautiful a murder as you could hope for," remarks the Policeman in the final scene of Herzog's Woyzeck . And he is right. Herzog adaptation of Buchner's play is a triumph of cinema. While most "murder films" focus on plot and atmosphere rather than character (i.e. Hitchcock's Psycho), Woyzeck takes us slowly and elegantly into the protagonist's psyche in such a way that the final murder scene is an explosion of cinematic poetry. Herzog's rather faithful rendition of Buchner's play benefits from its adaptation the screen and gives up nearly nothing of the original theatrical performance. For example, in remaining faithful to the original text, the prolific amount of monologues gives us insight into the characters' internal state and makes every action more meaningful. The long speeches are refreshing after being overexposed the choppy interchange of half sentences that are characteristic of most contemporary screenplays. And yet Herzog's adaptation is not merely a filmed play.
The acting, directing and cinematography are beautifully coordinated. Kinsky's brilliant performance as Woyzeck makes us believe that there is no other actor that could pull off the role with such vigor and passion, and of course, in such a frighteningly convincing way. And of course Herzog's direction is strongly felt. And last but not least, most of the cinematography is gorgeous and beautifully framed. To be sure it is not a perfect film, there are some almost clumsy panning shots, and the film's rushed production is evident in the editing. This is why I give the film an 8. And yet this film will forever change the way you look at cinema.
