An archaeologist unearthing the DCP of Salt and Fire without further indication would undeniably recognize in it the indelible trademark of Werner Herzog, a filmmaker of extremes who testifies to at least two of his most recurrent obsessions: a fascination with infinite spaces and an insatiable curiosity for abnormality. Under the pretext of staging the kidnapping of a trio of scientists by a tycoon who is at the root of an ecological disaster in the Bolivian desert, the filmmaker who filmed deaf-blind mutes in The Land of Silence and Darkness (1971) and directed performers under hypnosis in Heart of Glass (1976) gradually concentrates his subject matter on the singular trio formed by a lost woman and two kids suffering from a rare disease. The final third of the film focuses on this strange blended family, symbolically personifying a return to the origins of humanity in the immaculate setting of Uyuni, a stretch of sun-scorched salt as far as the eye can see. This is the most legitimate reason for discovering this uneven but endearing film, which speaks a little too often for nothing, but conceals some lovely moments of cinema here and there. Herzog quickly dispenses with the plot, based on a book by Tom Bissell, which appears to be no more than a pretext, in favor of a contemplative reflection on the relationship between man and nature, a theme that underpins much of his prolific work, including many of his documentaries.
Jean-Philippe GUERAND
German film by Werner HERZOG (2015), with Michael SHANNON, Veronica FERRES, Gael GARCIA BERNAL. 1h33.
