Werner Herzog’s latest cinematic journey, ‘Ghost Elephants,’ transports us to Angola in search of elusive pachyderms. This wildlife documentary, premiering at the Venice Film Festival, masterfully blends stunning visuals with profound anthropological insights. Yet, its central figure proves unexpectedly challenging. Will Herzog’s signature style overcome a weak protagonist?
Werner Herzog, the stoic German auteur famed for his unflinching gaze into the human psyche and the natural world, returns with his latest documentary, “Ghost Elephants.” Premiering to significant fanfare at the Venice Film Festival, this ambitious wildlife documentary promises an Angolan adventure, yet, true to Herzog’s style, it defies simple classification. While its anthropological charms are undeniable, the film navigates a curious paradox, with its compelling peripheral narratives often overshadowing its central protagonist.
At the heart of “Ghost Elephants” lies the ambitious quest of Dr. Steve Boyes, a South African conservationist and explorer. Driven by a deep connection to nature, Boyes embarks on a journey to an elevated Angolan plateau, “the source of life,” hoping to locate the living descendants of “Henry,” the largest bull elephant ever exhibited at The Smithsonian. His misty-eyed reverence for the taxidermied giant sets the stage for an expedition reminiscent of Herzog’s own “Grizzly Man,” exploring a man more comfortable with wild beasts than human society.
Herzog, ever the master of cinematic juxtaposition, interweaves powerful imagery that critiques humanity’s destructive tendencies. Archival footage from the 1966 film “Africa Addis” chillingly depicts elephants being gunned down from a helicopter, starkly contrasting with photos of hunter Fénykövi in front of Henry’s fallen form. This visceral presentation underscores the film’s core message regarding Angolan conservation, echoing Herzog’s poignant philosophy: “I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder.”
The film deftly navigates the shifting landscape of conservation, acknowledging that while big-game hunting is out of fashion, modern threats persist. Harrowing scenes of trackers applying deadly poison to darts, intended for research rather than harm, nevertheless evoke the specter of elephant poaching. These compelling “asides,” including a fascinating anecdote from tracker Xui about his own brush with the poison, allow “Ghost Elephants” to breathe, showcasing Werner Herzog’s unique ability to find depth in unexpected places.
Indeed, it is in these rich vignettes that the film review finds its most evocative moments. Sequences of elephants moving gracefully underwater offer a magical respite, transporting viewers into an almost ethereal realm. These stunning cut-aways to other rare beasts underscore the majestic beauty that Dr. Boyes is ostensibly trying to protect. Such visual poetry allows Herzog’s auteurial colors to truly flourish, even as the protagonist’s precise motivations for finding the ghost elephants remain curiously underarticulated.
Herzog’s distinctive narration, with its irreverent sense of humor, acts as the unifying thread for what feels like a “jazz film” – a free-flowing exploration rather than a rigid narrative. His subtle “negging” of Boyes at critical junctures provides an entertaining, if somewhat disorienting, layer to the storytelling. This deliberate ambiguity, while characteristic of Herzog’s candid approach, ultimately impacts the structural coherence of “Ghost Elephants,” denying the audience an overarching sense of perspective on the central figure.
Ultimately, “Ghost Elephants” is a testament to Herzog’s unparalleled vision and his enduring fascination with the wild and the eccentric. While Dr. Boyes’s character remains somewhat opaque, the film triumphs through its captivating exploration of wildlife documentary ethics, the invaluable contributions of San Bushman and Luchazi trackers, and the sheer majesty of the Angolan wilderness. It is a cinematic experience that prompts profound reflection on humanity’s intricate, often contradictory, relationship with the natural world, making its debut at the Venice Film Festival a significant event.
