‘La Soufrière’: when Werner Herzog risked his life for a documentary
In the entire history of cinema, there have been very few filmmakers who were willing to risk it all for their art. Even among them, German auteur Werner Herzog holds a special place for his unparalleled dedication to the cinematic medium. Throughout his remarkable career, Herzog has demonstrated an uncompromising approach to filmmaking that has influenced multiple generations of young directors who have tried to follow in his footsteps.
Over the years, Herzog has made many fascinating masterpieces such as Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, which have shaped 20th-century cinema. Even in his later years, the German filmmaker has maintained the consistency of his artistic output and has continued to produce gems like the 2019 drama Family Romance, LLC. In addition to his features, Herzog has also made several important documentaries that have grappled with serious questions.
One of the most interesting documentaries of Herzog’s extensive career is the 1977 work La Soufrière which focuses on an upcoming volcanic eruption on the island of Guadeloupe. Described by Herzog as “a report on an inevitable catastrophe that did not take place”, La Soufrière records how Herzog waited for the impending eruption on the deserted island and spoke to the few remaining people who refused to evacuate the dangerous area.
In an interview, the filmmaker noted (via Herzog on Herzog): “For La Soufrière, since we really did not know if the island we were standing on was about to be blown apart by a volcano, each of us had to make his own decision. As soon as I heard about the impending volcanic eruption, that the island of Guadeloupe had been evacuated, and that one peasant had refused to leave, I knew I wanted to go talk to him and find out what kind of relationship towards death he had.”
However, the inevitability of the eruption turned out to be a mirage since it never came. Herzog commented: “There is certainly an element of self-mockery in the final film. Everything that looks so dangerous and doomed ultimately ends up in utter banality. That is fine, I had to accept it as it was, and of course, in retrospect, I have to thank God on my knees that it was not otherwise. It is a good job [that] the film is missing its potentially violent climax. It really would have been absolutely ridiculous to be blown to pieces by a volcano with two colleagues whilst making a film.”
Although the volcano never blew up, Herzog was ready to risk his own life (as were his crew members) in order to capture the elusive cinematic sublime that he has always chased. As audiences who have lived through a pandemic, watching footage of deserted streets and empty public spaces is a unique experience. That’s why revisiting La Soufrière is essential for all film fans. It’s a surprisingly potent meditation on human mortality and ecological catastrophe that only grows more ominous with each passing year.
Watch the film below.
