Even Dwarfs Started Small (1971)

This is the first narrative from Werner Herzog that I have seen. I did see GRIZZLY MAN (which was amazing), but never one of his narratives. Luckily for me, Netflix has just put of a bunch of his films on instant watch. I know Herzog mostly by reputation and the staggering amount of work he has produced. I know that he ate a boot in Berkeley once because he lost a bet. I thought I would start at the beginning, see his progression as a filmmaker (or some shit like that).

EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL (which is an amazing title) is a very unique experience for many reasons, but the one detail that stands out the most is that the entire cast is dwarfs. I am assuming dwarf is the appropriate classification (seeing is how that is in the title). I am never sure about these things. The Netflix description used the term little people. I guess they both work, but then again, I don’t know if Netflix has received any hate male for their insensitive synopsis of EVEN DWARFS STARTED SMALL.

There is a compound where all the dwarfs are held; it’s referred to as an institution. It’s not clear exactly why they are being held there, but the patients are not happy about it. The (potentially insensitive) Netflix description said something about them being in a mental institution, but that was hard to infer from watching it (or I am a complete dumb ass). The inmates stage a coup against the administrators and begin raising havoc. They burn plants, drive a car into a hole, break plates, have food fights, and pick on blind people. They are violent, destructive, jolly, juvenile and free spirited.

The films cuts between the mayhem of the inmates and the worried conversation of two administrators locked inside the complex. Much of the film is shot hand held and looks like a documentary. A lot of the hand held shots are done from a fully-grown adult view point, so it really emphasizes the heights of the characters. There are times when it calls attention to their height and times when it seems like height is irrelevant and we should just focus on the plight of the inmates.

One of the most memorable scenes that calls attention to their stature is when one of the characters tries to climb onto a bed, but can’t make it up. This scene is like 3 minutes long of a little person trying to get onto the bed through a lot of different tactics. He never does get it. Poor Guy.

A lot of times, the film seems to drag. The pacing could be faster, but then again, the focus isn’t on crafting a tightly woven plot, it’s about a specific event. Herzog has a documentary approach to narrative and wants to explore circumstance. I wonder if this style was used specifically for this project or if Herzog does this all the time. It will be interesting to see his other films. I imagine either answer will make him an interesting filmmaker.

I have seen a few foreign films lately that have a lot of cruelty to animals in them and I’m curious if there are different animal treatment laws for film in other countries. All of Jodorowsy’s films (EL TOPO, HOLY MOUNTAIN) had a lot of dead animals in them and so did EDSS. Characters were throwing chickens at people, sitting on dead pigs, and there is even a camel at one point. From what I could see the camel didn’t get hurt, but where the hell did that thing come from?

Apparently when they were filming this, a few of the cast members got hurt in some of the stunts. Most notoriously was when one of the actors got run over by a car. He was fine, but Herzog felt bad about this so he made a deal, “if no one gets hurt for the remainder of the production, I will jump into a cactus.” They finished filming, no one got hurt and Herzog made good on his promise. He jumped into a cactus. That is dedication!

It’s an incredibly interesting film, parts do drag and seem pointless, but the over all picture is worth viewing (at least clips of it). There are a lot of bizarre images that were iconic at first sight. From watching older films, I am learning that a good film can breath and doesn’t have to be edited for the attention deficit audience. It’s easy to get spoiled on modern filmmaking techniques so it’s refreshing to watch a film like this.