Cave of Forgotten Dreams

It's unfair to compare a movie in big-screen 3D against its DVD counterpart, but that's exactly what many people will do when they watch this superb film in their living rooms. Only legendary German director Werner Herzog could make cave drawings profound for 90 minutes, taking us on an exclusive tour inside France's Chauvet Cave, where the world's oldest cave drawings were discovered, in pristine condition. Credit a fallen rock face that sealed the cave and preserved its 30,000-year-old drawings of horses, bears and other creatures from the Neanderthal age. Herzog interviews scientists, who provide context: that the inhabitants of modern-day France dressed like Inuit; that a dry cold gripped the earth; that they hurled spears at wild horses; and played melodic flutes made from the bones of large birds. Herzog narrates throughout, in a typically elegant essay form, waxing about the spiritual significance of these drawings, which he likens to the earliest expressions of the human soul. That may sound grandiose on paper, but coupled with the sweeping shots of the cave drawings and Ernst Reijseger's soaring orchestral score, Herzog's observations are profound. Of course, 3D enhances the footage by giving depth and texture to the cave drawings, but the DVD format isn't a deal breaker. If you're watching this movie for the first time from home and have never enjoyed the 3D experience, you'll still marvel at these discoveries. After all, a great film is a great film. That said, this DVD package fails to supply any bonus material, which is shocking, as several Herzog films, including Encounters at the End of the World, offer generous extras such as a director's commentary, "making of" documentaries and even an extended videotaped interview before a live audience.