Werner Herzog Feels That 'The Mandalorian' Is "Cinema Back At Its Best"
Werner Herzog – ‘The Mandalorian’ – “Chapter 1”

Actor and director Werner Herzog was the most unexpected casting news from ‘The Mandalorian’ and this famed indie creator is now calling ‘The Mandalorian‘ “cinema back at its best.” This is strong praise from a man who originally took the gig just for the paycheck to finance his own independent work. However, you can tell from the comments Herzog is making that not only does he truly believe this, but he is passionate about the world which has been created even though he has never previously seen a “Star Wars” film in his life.

Talking to executive producer Jon Favreau on stage a screening of ‘The Mandalorian,’ the elder filmmaker shares that he feels they are kindred spirits:

“When you invited me, I knew in less than 60 seconds that this was going to be big. I saw the universe. I saw costumes. I saw the round horizon. I saw the spacecraft. I saw an entire universe. And I knew this was really big.”

He continued on that the role he plays on the show felt made for him:

“Secondly, when Jon described a little bit about the character — yes, it’s a dark, dark sort of figure that shouldn’t be trusted at all — I knew it was going to be easy.”

Joking about the work aside, Werner Herzog went back to talking about the creative process of the new series:

“I enjoyed every single moment of it. And I think it’s beyond what we are seeing on the screen. It’s cinema back at its best. On the big fantasy films, actors were acting almost like robots in front of green screens, you didn’t see the world that you were inhabiting. Now [with The Mandalorian], the actors see the entire universe in which they are operating, and the camera does the same. The camera sees it as well, so cinema is back to its very life, where it had been. And it becomes very, very, Iivey it’s not robotic. It’s got very, very intense life in it.”

Herzog went past the technology of the filmmaking and heaped praise on an emotionally shaken Favreau as well:

“It sounds like science fiction, but it is way beyond that because what you’re creating goes beyond that — what you’re creating is an entire universe. And this universe is filled with new mythology. Not very often in cultural history have we had new mythologies. We had it with ancient Greek mythology, we had it in antiquity, but very rarely…and it’s also a world filled of fantasy, full of fever dreams, full of new characters you never expected, so it’s a wonderful possibility for filmmaking. [There] can’t be a better universe than the one that you inhabit with your characters.”

Honestly, while I suspect there are aspects to much of the “Star Wars” franchise that wouldn’t appeal to Herzog, this makes me feel that portions of it would endlessly fascinate the filmmaker when it comes to the Jedi Order and beyond.

Are you thrilled with Werner Herzog’s work on ‘The Mandalorian’ so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Source: Deadline