Customer Reviews
Excellent doc 
2008-09-14
Werner Herzog's 1999 documentary, Klaus Kinski: My Best Fiend, is yet another in the dazzling array of Herzog documentary, or documentary-like, films. This one follows his turbulent friendship and creative partnership with the legendary German actor Klaus Kinski. Herzog also serves as narrator, in German (with English subtitles, or dubbed into English). In the 1970s and 1980s the pair collaborated to make five indelibly memorable great films: Aguirre: The Wrath Of God (1972), Nosferatu: Phantom Of The Night (1979), Woyzek (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982), and Cobra Verde (1988).
In a sense, this film is pure hagiography, only in wink and a nod reverse, as Herzog proudly cements Kinski's reputation as the madman of 20th Century film; but in the hands of any other director that's all this film would be, schmaltzy hagiography. In the capable hands of Herzog, this film is a memorable experience in its own right.... The film also has other unexpected moments of fun and pleasure, including bizarre outtakes from a supposed earlier version of Fitzcarraldo, starring Jason Robards as Fitzcarraldo, with a goofy Mick Jagger as his even odder sidekick. Whether or not this is true footage, or was merely done as a gag, is left to the viewer's imagination, but it's hard to imagine that Herzog would have ever wanted to make such a film.
Kinski died in 1991, in Marin County, California, at the age of sixty-five, just three years after his last collaboration with Herzog on Cobra Verde, yet Herzog seems to never have gotten over it, for the better or the worse. The whole film, despite its mockery and offbeat tone, is a most loving tribute of one artist to another, even as Herzog claims, `'Every gray hair on my head I call Kinski.' Yet, the two men and artists seemed to bring out the best in each other, for Kinski's career long predated Herzog's, and included small roles in epics like Doctor Zhivago, but no one today recalls a single role of Kinski's outside the Herzog milieu. That, alone, sums up why this documentary is a must see for Herzog fans, and fans of cinema.
The complexity of genius 
2008-07-02
Werner Herzog, one of the greatest directors of our time, and Klaus Kinski, one of its greatest actors, collaborated with one another in five films. Both were geniuses, both stubbornly protective of their artistic integrity, and both slightly egomaniac (actually, more than "slightly"). This documentary, made by Herzog, is an effort on his part, after Kinski's death, to make sense of their relationship.
Herzog's conclusion is that they complemented and genuinely liked one another, although it's also the case that each of them experienced episodes of great rage and hatred for one another. In fact, both admitted to wanting to kill the other at times. But together they managed to make some of the greatest films of the century.
Kinski comes across as an absolutely fascinating character: possessed of a hair trigger and ferocious temper that could explode unexpectedly, he was the terror of camera crews, fellow actors, and sometimes Herzog himself. Curiously, Herzog first met Kinski when Kinski was a struggling young actor and Herzog a boy of fifteen. Kinski stayed in Herzog's mother's boarding house in Munich. Even then his temper was apparent. On one occasion he shut himself up in a bathroom for 48 hours, ranting, raving, and destroying until, as Herzog says, every piece of porcelain in the bathroom was so shattered that you could filter it through a tennis racket.
Although in the middle of wild nature (South America and Africa) for three of Herzog's films, and although he liked to say how much of a "natural man" he was, Kinski in fact feared and disliked nature. He had a germ phobia, which caused him to dislike both human contact and the messiness of the jungle. He was a terrible bully, but like most bullies was also a bit of a coward.
But the film isn't uniformly critical of Kinski, as an earlier reviewer says. In fact, it's an honest and fascinating look at the wellspring of his genius. Herzog speculates several times that the intense temper tantrums were Kinski's way of purging himself before he went before the camera--a way of emptying his mind and spirit to enter fully into the moment once in character.
Well worth watching, both for Herzog and Kinski fans, and those interested in artistic genius.
Klaus Kinski - My Best Fiend 2007-07-13
Astounding documentary captures this unusually temperamental pairing of two big talents, who both needed, and couldn't stand, each other. We see this from Herzog's side (Kinski had died several years before), but the rendering doesn't feel one-sided or cruel. Below all the mutual frustration and rage lies a core of mutual respect, even tenderness. A remarkable portrait that illustrates the extremes and dichotomies of human relationships.
Werner Herzog: Every grey hair on my head, I call Kinski. 2007-03-03
The documentary made by Werner Herzog tells about the legendary love-hate relationship between the director who was ready to climb to Hell for his every movie and border-line insane genius actor Klaus Kinski who might have been one of the creatures from Hell that Herzog had to face. It is hard to imagine two people more different than Herzog and Kinski: "...stone and waves, the coldest ice and hottest flames have more in common, differ less" but they both were driven and obsessed artists. Famous for his wild and ferocious talent and temperament to match, Kinski was incredibly difficult to work with. He wrote about himself, "I am a wild animal born in captivity, in a zoo but where beast would have claws, I have talent". Kinski's talent was fully realized in five films that he made with Werner Herzog over a fifteen-year working period, starting with astounding "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1973), and then following with "Fitzcarraldo," "Nosferatu" (1979), inspired by Murnau's silent vampire classic; "Woyzeck" (1979), about a 19th century army private who seems mad to others because he looks and acts so differently from them, and "Cobra Verde" (1988). It is impossible to imagine any other actor starring in these films and they are without doubt the best Kinski ever made (and he made hundreds of films). Thanks to the Herzog's documentary we are able to learn what exactly went on behind the stunning images and unforgettable performances. According to Herzog, "people like Marlon Brando are just kindergarden comparing to Kinski. He is mad and unpredictable." They liked each other, they hated each other, and they respected each other at the same time making plans to murder each other. Kinski, who respected Herzog, and valued his friendship, confessed to the director that in his autobiography he would describe their relationship in not very flattering terms - otherwise, the crowd would not read it. Herzog recalls how they both would sit together at the bench after the shooting and discuss what Kinski would write in his book. I am curious if they discussed and agreed upon the following passage and if Herzog helped Kinski with some of the colorful metaphors: "I absolutely despise this murderous Herzog! Huge red ants should p**s into his lying eyes, gobble up his balls, penetrate his a**hole and eat his guts."
Even after watching the fascinating documentary, it is difficult to fully understand the relationship between two giants but as Herzog admits, the only thing that counts is what we see on the screen and what we see is amazing.
Calling it a love-hate relationship doesn't do it justice 2007-02-27
Far from being a character assissination & chop job on Kinski (as some reviewers would claim), Herzog's film is as much as an examination of his own obssessive drive and (albeit, much lower key) madness as it is a look back at his relationship with one of the most (by general consensus) difficult & brilliant actors in the business.
Obviously, Herzog regards Kinski as being a nut...but he all but concedes that one would have to be crazy in one's own right to continue to work with such a man, again & again. It would be nice if Herzog would discuss, in a less oblique fashion, his own driving commitment (as evidenced in "Aguirre" and "Fitzcarraldo") which helped to cause this clash of megalomaniacs, but nonetheless, the examination is there for those discerning viewers who choose to see it.
Yes, it would be nice if Kinski could have returned fire, so to speak. It also would have been less frustrating if Herzog had discussed the reasons that he finally decided to end their collaboration after "Cobra Verde." However, in the end, we have to be satisfied with what we got. It is a fascinating little slice of film history worth watching.
'People like Brando are just kindergarden compared to Kinski'. 2005-11-24
Most people associate the director Werner Herzog with the actor Klaus Kinski--but few know how twisted and enmeshed their relationship was. Though Kinski has made dozens of movies, he probably remains best known for the five he made with Herzog:
Aguirre: The Wrath of God,
Woyzeck,
Nosferatu the Vampyre,
Cobra Verde, and
Fitzcarraldo. In this documentary/cinematic memoir, Herzog uses clips from these remarkable films, on-the-set footage, and personal recollections to create a portrait of Kinski as both a deeply passionate actor and a raving lunatic; it's hard to say whether he's defaming Kinski or being generous to this mercurial, erratic actor. There's no question that their relationship is fascinating; after their first movie (
Aguirre, probably the best of their collaborations) they both described moments of wanting to kill each other--in fact, both agree that Herzog threatened to shoot Kinski at one point, though they differ on the details. Yet they went on to make four more movies, almost all of them under circumstances that would be difficult for the most serene personalities.
My Best Fiend was inspired by Kinski's death, and probably the movie's weakest aspect is that we don't get Kinski's side of their friendship. But even though it's one-sided, it's still a remarkable portrait of two artists who were willing to go to extremes to capture their visions. Any fan of either will find this unique documentary indispensable.
--Bret Fetzer
"Impulsive. Unpredictable. Half-mad. He wasn't quite normal" 2005-04-22
This brilliant and compelling documentary was directed (and narrated) by Werner Herzog, one of the most creative and original directors of all time. The documentary focuses on one of the best actor/director teams in the history of cinema: Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. They had an ofen violent love-hate "friendship", each one fueled by inner passions...and demons.
This documentary goes behind-the-scenes with some of Herzog's greatest masterpieces, like "Aguirre: the Wrath of God", "Fitzcarraldo", and "Nosferatu the Vampire", to tell how Herzog and Kinski fought and argued yet somehow managed to complete each of their films together. At one point Herzog threatened to shoot his "best friend" Kinski, and another time he contemplated firebombing Kinski's home. During the filming of "Fitzcarraldo", the native extras actually offered to kill Kinski, who was having many tantrums (one which was actually filmed and is shown in this documentary!), as a favor to Herzog. Herzog was surprised by the offer, and the native chief who made the offer was totally serious.
Yet despite their many violent confrontations, Herzog and Kinski were connected by their deep love of making meaningful movies. Although Klaus Kinski was undoubtably one of the toughest actors to work with, he was always capable (under Herzog's direction) of giving outstanding performances. Yes, Kinski was a little crazy, but so was Herzog (just was "Fitzcarraldo" for proof of that!), yet they were both artistic geniuses. This film also has interesting interviews with women who co-starred with Kinski, Claudia Cardinale and Eva Mattes that show how Kinski usually treated women much better than men.
With clips from his greatest movies accompanied by the beautiful music of Popol Vuh, this is an excellent tribute, if I can call it that, to Klaus Kinski. It is sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, but always powerful. The final scene shows a kinder, more gentle side of Kinski that fans rarely get to see. This documentary is awesome, but I suggest you view the Herzog/Kinski films before watching this so that you'll have a better appreciation for this fine film. This is an absolute must for any fan of Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski!
The kid stays in the picture despite the psychotic outbreaks 2005-03-29
A grandly entertaining documentary that manages to be savagely funny, nail-bitingly harrowing and oddly moving all at once. Director Werner Herzog does a bit of self-absorbed navel-gazing and a lot of tall tale-spinning in this retrospective of his love-hate artistic partnership with actor Klaus Kinski (Urban legend puts both men literally plotting the other's murder at one time or another). Of course, we all know that "dead men tell no tales", (uh-Kinski did die of natural causes, far as we know) so we have to acknowledge the point-of-view as a bit lopsided from the outset; although to his credit Herzog does consult a couple of Kinski's leading ladies, who seem more willing to recall examples of Kinski's kinder, gentler (and lucid) moments (Most backstage footage of Kinski included shows the actor in "screaming tantrum" mode, which can paint a somewhat one-dimensional portrait.) As some reviewers have said, it does help if you have previously viewed the pair's more mercurial collaborations first, namely "Fitzcarraldo" and "Aguirre, The Wrath Of God", as both projects mirror the pathos and bathos of the real life relationship. Ultimately, the film begs the question: Are any great artists ever "normal" people anyway? From Mozart to Brando, history seems to bear out that when it comes to the creative arts, there is frequently a fine line between "being a genius" and "needing to be locked up". Final scene is an unexpectedly loving and beautiful coda which brought tears to this viewer's eyes. Essential viewing for fans of the director and his muse.
Klaus Kinski is the Anti-Christ and should have been elected Pope. 2004-12-12
I feel as though my life would have been incomplete had I never seen this movie. Klaus's lunacy fueled by Werner's meth amphetamine dependancy are a recipe for unprecedented hilarity and hijinx. I could not stop laughing from the first frame to the inspired rolling of the credits (which in and of themselves should have been nominated for an oscar for art direction.) As a matter of fact, I have not been able to stop laughing since I saw this film (and I last saw this film 8 years ago.) Bully!!! to Werner who has created an unparalled portait of a lunatic and his love of romantic literature.
Conflict is good 2004-04-30
The title's play on words pretty much sums up the sentiment of the film. Herzog's depiction of his relationship with Kinski is painfully honest, but it is not hard to see the affection mingled with the frustration. Kinski was a mad man and nearly impossible to work with. And yet Herzog chose to work with him again and again, and with great results. This film is a tribute to their contentious and productive relationship.
There are some really funny stories here, including one where Herzog actually threatened to kill Kinski. Some may have heard of this spat, but it is still interesting to hear Herzog's dead-pan account.
Very honest, very informative, very entertaining documentary about a very complex relationship. It goes beyond friendship. It just had to be, whether either of them wanted it or not.
