Werner Herzog: The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner / How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck / La Soufrière

This trio of rarely-seen short documentaries will be tonic for those who worship at the celluloid shrine of Werner Herzog. The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner (1975), the only German-language film here, is a 45-minute celebration of Swiss ski jumper Walter Steiner, in which Herzog's capture of Steiner's brilliant flights of athleticism rank among the greatest achievements in sports filmmaking history. The 45-minute How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck (1977) details a distinctive brand of tongue-twisting activity: the World Championship of Livestock Auctioneers, held in the Amish region of Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, where we hear a rarely recorded but still spoken form of archaic German. La Soufrière (1977), which Herzog narrates in English, is a 30-minute meditation from Guadeloupe on the resilience of one man who refused the orders to evacuate the island when an imminent volcanic eruption was predicted. Each film is a work of miniature art, brilliantly telling its story with both efficiency and uncommon depth. Whether soaring through the air or plumbing the soul of man, Herzog's films represent a peak achievement in short subject filmmaking and serve to reinforce his eminence as one of the world's most creative and versatile cinema artists. Featuring decent transfers—especially considering the age and source—this extra-less compilation is highly recommended. (P. Hall)