Why You Should See Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Not because it’s in 3-D. That’s the last reason to see it. The 3-D is subtle and it works, but it won’t blow you away.

You should see it because it’s a brilliant, thoughtful film full of images you’ll never see in your life. (Unless they build the theme park nearby with a replica cave. Seriously.)

Because even though the film features Werner Herzog’s patented deadpan Germanic voice over, it leaves you plenty of time to absorb the images and those images might inspire you to think about some things you might not think about in your day-to-day life. Like what makes humans human? What is the role of art and ritual in life, then and now? How has our relationship to animals changed in the last 35,000 years? Can ideas and emotions be transmitted across a time span of so many millennia? And what’s with the albino alligators?

Because the people in Herzog’s documentaries always have something interesting to say, even if they seem at times a little off-kilter or if they’re wearing a reindeer poncho and playing a flute.

But mostly see it because gazing upon these beautifully drawn images, beautiful revealed by Herzog’s camera, is an exceptional cinematic experience. If you can, take someone who draws or paints. They’ll thank you and probably start talking about the amazing lines these early humans produced.

Here’s the trailer. Like all trailers it’s fast-paced and doesn’t reflect the actual pace of the film.