Heart of Glass (
Herz aus Glas) is essentially a treatise by
Werner Herzog
on the power and importance of art. Director Herzog was known to put
his actors through the wringer to get the results he wanted. In this
film, Herzog decided that the best way to get his people to dance to the
crack of his whip was to actually put them under hypnosis! The dazed,
zombie-like performances certainly fit the subject matter. This is the
story of an 18th-century Bavarian glassblower who by virtue of his
delicate work virtually casts a spell over his neighbors.
When the
glassblower dies, the townsfolk discover that he failed to leave behind
the secret for his special ruby glassware -- and will do literally
anything to find the answer. The word usually used to describe
Heart of Glass
is "haunting"; some viewers have gone beyond haunted and into
"possessed." Watch carefully and spot director Herzog in a bit as a
glass carrier.
