The Fire Within is a documentary about volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. Compromised almost exclusively of footage and images shot by the Krafft's themselves, their work speaks for itself with minmial narration by director Werner Herzog in his signature style.
It is impossible not to compare this to 2022's other documentary about the Krafft's comprised mostly of their own footage(one has to assume an archive of their work was just recently made available) Fire Of Love. Where Fire Of Love seems to attempt to do a Herzog impression and, ill advisedly, attempts to make the story a romantic one Herzog, no surprise, is better at doing what he does. He let's the incredible images the Krafft's captured speak for themselves. The majority of the film is simply flowing, undulating lava, and expansive volcanic clouds. He doesn't focus on their relationship, he doesn't focus on science, he focuses on the couple as filmmakers and venerates them as such through the images they captured. Even though it is clear the two filmmakers had access to the same footage Herzog has a keener eye, not only for the majesty of nature, but for the small intimate human moments. He functions here almost exclusively as an editor, selecting the images and sequences that he finds the most compelling, the most interesting, and he, as ever, is insightful. His eye is not on how to package it but on how to convey his ecstatic truth, which he achieves.
In his narration he calls our attention to certain things but he doesn't lead us, he maintains his dry humor and sage-like observations, and tells us some simple conclusions he's drawn about the images we are seeing and the people that made them but leaves us to take from it what we will.
A majestic and compassionate documentary about volcanos and two people that were drawn to them. Herzog, at 80, remains singular.
Currently available for rent on Amazon.
See It.
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