Lessons of Darkness poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Werner Herzog

Straddling a line between documentary and science fiction, Werner Herzog's Lektionen in Finsternis is an epic visual poem set in the burning oil fields of Kuwait following the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf W... read more read more...ar. Herzog, as much a daredevil as a documentarian, took his small crew in a helicopter and, floating above the fields, photographed jaw-dropping footage of the blazing, blackened landscape. Alternately horrific and majestic, the movie is a phantasmagoric, if distanced, catalog of horrors. Boiling lakes of crude oil, twisted scraps of melted metal, and ominous billows of smoke and fire abound. On the ground, the images are just as otherworldly. Herzog filmed scenes of firemen in full-body suits, working -- futilely it seems -- to contain the blaze. There are also a couple of interviews with Kuwaiti women, who talk heartbreakingly of the brutalities they suffered at the hands of Iraqi soldiers. In his voice-over narration, Herzog assumes the identity of a spectator from another planet, making bemused comments about the catastrophe with no attempt to inform the viewer of the factual circumstances behind it. His high-flown rhetoric, dense with mythical portent and allusiveness, underscores this visionary movie's detached view of the destruction of the Kuwaiti oil fields. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi

Flixster Users

90% liked it

2,620 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

9 critics

Unrated, 50 min.

Directed by: Werner Herzog

Release Date: October 25, 1995

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: January 8, 2002

Stats: 182 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Lessons of Darkness
Upload a Photo | View All Lessons of Darkness Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (182)

  • SirPant
    October 2, 2009
    SirPant
    Werner Herzog takes us to an Alien planet, where fairytale characters behave in bizarre and often cruel ways, cause harm to each other and basically behave illogically. Then, sledgehammer to the face, wake up and smell the coffee, its planet earth man, we're the ridiculous specie... read mores, capable of unbelievable cruelty and destruction. War has never been so beautiful, typical Herzog greatness. I found it to be much better than his other similar films, The wild blue yonder and Fata Morgana.
  • Ivan6655321
    June 3, 2009
    Ivan6655321
    Apocalyptic, nightmarish, but at the same time, a very beautiful poem-like documentary. Director Herzog succeeded to create such a mythical story to accompany the raw, visceral footages of the chaotic Kuwaitian oil fields. The lack of narrative but more use of operatic music adds... read more to the film's hypnotic effect. There is never been a film where apocalyptic images is shown as beautiful as it is depicted in this little masterpiece of filmmaking. A film to be experienced but a great bore for someone not interested with these kind, particularly Herzog's films.
  • mpghoul1973
    August 3, 2011
    mpghoul1973
    Lessons in Darkness is a very odd yet amazing Herzog documentary. A short 54 minute film, Herzog films the aftermath of the first gulf war focusing on the burning oil feilds. He almost transcends the documentary and the film feels like a Sciene Fiction film. Leave it to Herzog to... read more make the aftermath of war look beautiful. He is a genius.
  • jsbond008
    February 28, 2008
    jsbond008
    visually stunning, but as far as plot empty. the majority of the film is images of war and oil wells being destroyed and re-built. Daniel Day Lewis' character in 'There Will be Blood' would be proud.
  • scrambledegg7
    December 7, 2006
    scrambledegg7
    This movie was actually much more interesting than I thought it would be. It feels less like a documentary and more like just some sort of visual experiment. It's short and doesn't drag on at all. It's also a very powerful film, very beautifully done. The music in particular is r... read moreeally interesting, as it certainly lends a distinctive feel to the rest of the movie. Interesting premise dealt with in an interesting way. Certainly worth an hour of time just to sit down and watch.

View All Lessons of Darkness Reviews

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce
February 6, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

A staggering, faux-extraterrestrial fugue

Dennis Schwartz
March 28, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Though shot straightforward, it all looks so nightmarish, alien and surreal. Full Review

Nick Schager
February 16, 2006
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

One of Herzog's earliest - and most evocative - cinematic essays on the uneasy relationships between man and Earth, unaffected reality and orchestrated drama. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
May 9, 2005
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Herzog is a fearless, meticulous director who approaches his subject in a timeless manner, turning this disaster into a great theme, a story for all time. Full Review

Walter Chaw
April 12, 2005
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

Lays the groundwork for Herzog's masterpiece Aguirre: The Wrath of God. Full Review

Leo Goldsmith
December 21, 2004
Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Exotic animals, gutted structures, rusting vehicles, orientalist tourists - each a fragment of a hazy and disassembled culture mapped onto a desert wasteland Full Review

Jeremy Heilman
September 4, 2004
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

One of the few films that truly deserves to be labeled with the adjective astonishing. Full Review

Cole Smithey
October 1, 2007
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 23, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Derek Smith
October 30, 2006
Derek Smith, Cinematic Reflections

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Lessons of Darkne... : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Lessons of Darkness. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Lessons of Darkness to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?