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Werner Herzog, Dominique Baffier, Jean Clottes, Jean-Michel Geneste, Carole Fritz ... see more see more... , Gilles Tosello , Philippe Michel , Julien Monney , Wulf Hein , Nicholas Conard , Maria Malina , Maurice Maurin

Cave of Forgotten Dreams follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man. It's an unforgettab... read more read more...le cinematic experience that provides a unique glimpse of the pristine artwork dating back to human hands over 30,000 years ago - almost twice as old as any previous discovery. -- (c) IFC Films

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72% liked it

9,925 ratings

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96% liked it

124 critics

G, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Werner Herzog

Release Date: April 29, 2011

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DVD Release Date: November 29, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (741)

  • fb1672039553
    April 16, 2012
    fb1672039553
    More than "art appreciation," Cave of Forgotten Dreams aims to meditate on the possible birthplace of what makes you and I mentally unique in the animal kingdom. Herzog has a beautiful opportunity to show what 30,000 years looks like through the development of stalactites and sta... read morelagmites layered over ancient bones and footprints. He states at the very beginning that the drawings on this cave are twice as old as the next oldest known drawings. We would expect them to be primitive, but they are far, far from it. We see the emotions of the animals, we see their movements, their breath. We see a legendary myth still alive today. Our abilities to think abstractly, focus, and document our experience are all present here -- all necessary to create our sense of presence and spirituality.
  • blkbomb
    January 22, 2012
    blkbomb
    "Mankind's Lost Masterpiece"

    Cave of Forgotten Dreams is only the second Herzog documentary I have seen; the other being Encounters at the End of the World. Both of which have taken me to a place where I can only dream of going, and have done so with magnificent beauty. That's w... read morehat this film is all about. Everyone who has complained about Herzog not answering or even asking a lot of questions, is missing the point. This isn't about answers because there really aren't any. Everything about how those paintings came to exist is purely speculation. We can't be transported back tens of thousands of years ago. What it is about is transporting us to a beautiful place that we will never be able to visit and to show us the enormity of human existence. To think about the time between when these paintings were created, relative to where we are now is mind blowing; at least to me anyway.

    Herzog does everything right because he lets the cave paintings do the talking. His narration isn't there to give us countless facts about what we are seeing, but is there to show an admiration for what we are seeing. He almost lyrically embraces every painting we see, in such a beautiful way. Then he'll just stop talking, play music, and show us the paintings because that's what we are watching for. 

    Making guesses as to how these paintings were made and by whom is just not important, and is really below Herzog. The enormity of what we are looking at wouldn't come across if all he was doing was asking experts their opinions as to a variety of pointless questions. No, this movie is all about the silence. I especially enjoyed the part where he told everyone in the cave to be quiet and just filmed the silence in the cave. These paintings have existed for thousands and thousands of years without anyone even knowing it. They existed in silence, yet they still existed. I love how he brings us back to this moment at the end with the heartbeats. 

    If this bores you, I really do feel sorry for you, because you would have to be so out of touch with the human soul that Herzog talks about, to not be completely moved by it. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a one of a kind film that only Herzog could make. 

    In many ways, this film is almost too breathtaking to describe. To describe its beauty in a way that is respectful is damn near impossible. 
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 9, 2012
    sanjurosamurai
    this is a low score for a film i actually really enjoyed, but since i saw it i cant stop thinking about all of the questions i have that were never answered or even addressed. the cave is fascinating, and much of the material was solid, but it could have either been 30 minutes s... read morehorter or covered more. i do think herzog made some wonderful decisions on the balance between interviews and actual cave footage as this may be the only footage any of us get to see, so more footage and less interviewing was a good call.
  • fb619846742
    December 4, 2011
    fb619846742
    A rich, well organized historical study by expert documentary film-maker Werner Herzog, in which he investigates some of the most prehistoric caves recorded by mankind, and the art inscribed in these very special and protected places. One has to have an appreciation for our roots... read more to truly be interested and fall in love with this movie. Herzog's narration and energy is infectious, and it carries well over to this particular project, which is in turn incredible and monumental when one considers how hard it is to get into these particular caves. It moves slow for a movie that is an hour and a half long, but it is truly a special journey that Herzog crafts ever so well.
  • SirPant
    November 29, 2011
    SirPant
    No one makes a documentary like Werner Herzog. I'm a fan. Listening to his voice alone is enough to hypnotise me but so as to give this film a fair rating, I shall put that to one side. First off, I knew nothing of this cave, it's existence or discovery. That really surprised me,... read more as I'm into my art, history and art history, so thank you Mr. Herzog for that. To be honest, even if I had seen it on a typical history channel/channel 4 hour long documentary, I probably would have missed or forgotten it because as well as the detail and facts involved, you also always get a poetic and human perspective from Werner that no one else even tries to achieve. It's not just the cave paintings themselves that are explored but the other details within the cave that I found fascinating. This could have been your average boring 'School lesson' documentary but what Herzog gives us is quite a profound insight into our own existence and what we are, what we've come from and what we will become. When did you last hear anyone ask 'When was the birth of the human soul' or 'Will albino crocodiles ever make it to the caves and wonder what they mean'? You've got to love Werner.
  • 366weirdmovies
    November 27, 2011
    366weirdmovies
    This Werner Herzog documentary is the only place you can see the oldest artwork in the world, the 20,000 year old Cro-Magnon paintings of Chauvet Cave, discovered in 1994 and of such historical importance that only the world's top scientists and archeologists had previously been ... read moregranted access. It's both important, and interesting. Originally in 3-D, which must have been awe-inspiring, but the impressive paintings, fossilized cave-bear skulls and stalagmites are still riveting flat. It wouldn't be a Herzog work without the head-scratching epilogue that muses about whether we, too, are albino alligators.
  • fb528166828
    October 17, 2011
    fb528166828
    Consider the length of a human life, and all of the achievements one is likely to witness in that time. Start small: your own achievements, be they academic, athletic, romantic. Now think a little larger, to the achievements of people you know. Continue to expand to your neighbou... read morerhood, city, nation, and, ultimately the world as a whole. How many of our supposedly wondrous accomplishments are truly significant? What will future historians remember about early twentieth century humankind? Will anything be remembered in 1,000 years? 10,000?

    Is it possible that 30,000 years from now, discoveries will continue to be made about us?

    Such questions likely never occurred to Eliette Brunel-Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, and Jean-Marie Chauvet in 1994 as they descended into what would soon be named Chauvet Cave in the south of France. What they found inside, perhaps the most important cultural artifact in human history, is the subject of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the latest film from celebrated director Werner Herzog.

    As Herzog explains through voice-over (in his typical, gravitas filled fashion), upon the discovery of dozens of magnificent cave paintings dating back approximately 32,000 years, twice as ancient as any previously discovered cave art, the French government placed the cave in lock down in the interests of preservation, and rightfully so. However, because of the intense security of the site, itā(TM)s likely that the majority of people are all but totally unaware of the caveā(TM)s existence. Herzog clearly wishes to change that, and for Cave of Forgotten Dreams the eclectic filmmaker gained unprecedented access to film the interior of Chauvel Cave, in 3-D no less, and the result is a film that will undoubtedly become required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in evolution, ancient history, or (as seems to be most crucial for Herzog), the development of that most unique of human pursuits: the arts.

    Indeed, to call the cave paintings anything but art is to do them a disservice. Perfectly preserved by a landslide some 20,000 years ago which sealed Chauvel Cave, the paintings are crafted with a remarkable level of skill and precision. Although basic in nature, the anatomy of the menagerie of creatures (bears, rhinoceros, horses and lions to name a few) shows an accuracy that is difficult to comprehend given the massive span of time that has passed since they were created. Herzogā(TM)s camera lovingly dwells on each piece, really allowing us to see the highly sophisticated level of detail, and, incredibly, to begin to comprehend the unknown artistā(TM)s process.

    Itā(TM)s easy to get swept up into the majesty of the subject matter, yet Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a film that demands attention for another reason, being one of the rare examples of a non-Hollywood 3-D production. And believe me, if you have the opportunity, seeing this film in 3-D is an experience you are unlikely to forget. Understandably, given the difficulties surrounding the location and delicate nature of the subject, the effect is at times a little hit-and-miss, but the moments when it does hit are more eye-popping than any 3-D Hollywood blockbuster in its entirety. The extra dimension displays the texture and contours of the cave walls in a way that only a handful of people have been fortunate enough to see first-hand. Herzog, with characteristic eloquence, discusses the āstaging of landscape as an operatic eventā?, and uses the technology at his disposal to follow the progression of art works through every bump and crevice. Add in the excellent use of fairly rudimentary lighting and the histrionic, discordant score, and the panels of paintings take on a wonderfully cinematic life of their own. Few filmmakers understand the dramatic potential of documentary filmmaking better than Herzog, and itā(TM)s hard to imagine any other director filming Chauvet Cave with quite the same level of panache.

    Cave of Forgotten Dreams simply cannot be recommended highly enough. As an examination of some of mankindā(TM)s earliest artworks yet discovered, there is nothing more fascinating or comprehensive available, and with the added factor of original and experimental use of 3-D that is actually worth the extra cost of admission, Herzog delivers one of the most uniquely interesting pieces of cinema of the year.

    tinribs27.wordpress.com
  • fb733768972
    October 12, 2011
    fb733768972
    This 3D documentary about the adventures of finding cave drawings, presumably drawn by neanderthal's over 10,000 years ago, is arguably one of the most intriguing films of it's kind. The drawings are that of animals which we would see in our current everyday lives, which is amazi... read moreng due to the fact that they were discovered much before any of these animals/creatures existed. The 3D is spectacular and definitely brings you right through the caves with the explorers as they make their fascinating discoveries. I must add that this film feels much longer than it actually is and if you are not interested after the first 30 minutes, then the rest of the film will put you to sleep. That being said, I was interested the entire way through, so it is probably the most boring piece of "masterful cinema" ever made. Everything in this film is beautiful. From the cinematography, to the wise cracks, to the stunning 3D depth, to the editing, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a must see. Simply breathtaking!
  • shortcartoonist
    June 28, 2011
    shortcartoonist
    Experiential, majestic, textured cinema of a rare scope. With a full utilisation of 3D and one of the better examples of the use of this new technology, 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' isn't so much a film as it is an experience. Herzog ventures outside of the documentarian norm to ca... read morepture and transport the viewer into the epic darkness, crystalline passageways and ancient stone formations to connect and understand an ancestry from many millenia past.

     


    » Full Review Here
  • c0up
    June 18, 2011
    c0up
    'Cave of Forgotten Dreams'. An unparalleled, humbling and fascinating look inside the Chauvet Cave and its beautifully detailed 30,000+ year old art, showing how the visual language transcends time.

View All Cave of Forgotten Dreams Reviews

Critic Reviews

Stephen Cole
July 8, 2011
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

It is our tour guide that makes Cave of Forgotten Dreams an often thrilling experience. Full Review

Peter Howell
July 7, 2011
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The overall effect, aided by Ernst Reijseger's score of rising choral harmonies and lush strings, is rapturous. Full Review

Roger Moore
June 3, 2011
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is another lovely stanza in the epic poem of humanity that Herzog has been writing for half a century. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
May 6, 2011
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

To call "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" a great movie isn't just an understatement, it's a wildly inaccurate way to describe an experience that, in its immersive sensory pleasures and climactic journey of ... Full Review

Walter V. Addiego
May 5, 2011
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle

Art history lessons don't get much better: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" presents the world's oldest paintings captured by one of film's great visionaries. Full Review

Steven Rea
May 5, 2011
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

We're never going to be allowed in this place, so thanks, Werner, for inviting us along. Full Review

Wesley Morris
May 5, 2011
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

What we come to love about Herzog's documentary is Herzog's love itself. Full Review

Colin Covert
May 5, 2011
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

It was the birth of the modern human soul, and cinematic explorer Werner Herzog's fantastic "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is the delivery-room video. Full Review

Anthony Lane
May 2, 2011
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

Herzog's voiceover is, as always, more entertaining than most film soundtracks. The film has a touch of that gray fuzz which still afflicts 3-D, but the Chauvet cave is a perfect candidate for such te... Full Review

Peter Rainer
April 29, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Herzog is reaching for ways to comprehend what he imagines to be the emblems of the birth of the modern soul. Full Review

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