Salt and Fire (2016)

A scientist blames the head of a large company for an ecological disaster in South America. But when a volcano begins to show signs of erupting, they must unite to avoid a disaster.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writers:

Tom Bissell (short story: Aral), Werner Herzog

Stars:

Veronica Ferres, Michael Shannon, Gael García Bernal

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Veronica Ferres	...	Laura Sommerfeld
Michael Shannon	...	Matt Riley
Gael García Bernal	...	Dr. Fabio Cavani
Volker Michalowski	...	Dr. Arnold Meier (as Volker Zack Michalowski)
Lawrence Krauss	...	Aristidis / Krauss
Anita Briem	...	Flight Attendant
Danner Ignacio Márquez Arancibia	...	Huascar
Gabriel Márquez Arancibia	...	Atahualpa

Storyline

Salt and Fire is about a mysterious hostage-taking where the leader of a small scientific delegation is deliberately stranded with two blind boys in an area of gigantic salt flats. Shot in Bolivia, the film stars Michael Shannon, Veronica Ferres and Gael García Bernal and was written and directed by Werner Herzog.

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Plot Keywords:

salt | stranded | boy | delegation | salt flat | 

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Genres:

Thriller

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Details

Country:

Germany France Mexico Bolivia USA

Language:

English German Quechua Spanish

Release Date:

7 April 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deserto em Fogo

Filming Locations:

Bolivia

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,888

Company Credits

Production Co:

Skellig Rock, Construction Film, Benaroya Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in only 16 days.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Michael Shannon/Alicia Keys/John Mellencamp feat. Martina McBride (2017)

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Soundtracks

A Una Rosa (Voche 'E Notte Antica)
Music by Ernst Reijseger and Ensemble

User Reviews

98 minutes of my life I will never get back....

This is my first time rating a film on IMDb although I am a frequent user of the sight and enjoy it thoroughly.

I felt compelled to write this quick review as I can't believe actors like Mike Shannon and Gael Garcia Bernal took the roles in this terrible film. Adding to the fact Werner Herzog wrote, Produced and Directed this film lent some hope to its credibility, yet, it was by far, IMO, One of, if not THE, worst film he ever did.

I am a fan of his documentaries, but, barring Fitzcarraldo, he has no business making feature length films. The acting was God awful. The dialog was meaningless with no plot intent in sight. The film dragged from the opening scene to the very last scene. Even with Shannon's talent, his dialog portrayed him as dull and confused. Not the intense, Broad range performance's you expect from him. The film makes an attempt at being profound but fails dismally. I left the screening scratching my head wondering, "What the heck was this film about"?....Then, it occurred to me. It was about 98 minutes too long!

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time.