High on the list of movies I’d always felt guilty about not seeing was Werner Herzog’s Stroszek (1977). I’d heard so much about it, particularly from friends, and even had a DVD copy of it that sat unwatched for years and years. The first thing I was struck by was Bruno S’s performance as the title character, how he is not affected like other actors but seems present, awkwardly so even, listening and interrupting at turns. It’s a strange, sweet and sad story about an accordion playing ex con, a prostitute and their elderly neighbour trying to find a new life in America. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but enjoyed it, with some hilariously odd moments as well as some lovely scenes like the one pictured. Definitely set the benchmark for a type of off-kilter indie cinema (it made me think of Jim Jarmusch and others that would cite it as inspiration). I believe I will get more out of it on rewatching it. That final sequence was truly something else!
VHS Tracking 