Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011)
85%RT Audience Score: 73%
Awards & Nominations: 12 wins & 21 nominations
Hauntingly filmed and brimming with Herzog’s infectious enthusiasm, Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a fascinating triumph
If you’re looking for a movie that will transport you to another world, look no further than Cave of Forgotten Dreams. This 3D masterpiece takes you on a journey through France’s Chauvet Cave, where you’ll see some of the most beautiful and ancient artwork in the world. And with Werner Herzog at the helm, you know you’re in for a wild ride. Sure, there’s some philosophizing, but who cares when you’re surrounded by stunning images of horses and lions? So grab your popcorn and get ready to be enchanted.
Production Company(ies)
Charles Chaplin Productions,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc, Ardèche, France
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English, German, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 29, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 29, 2011
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Werner Herzog, Chauvet Cave, oldest surviving paintings, art preservation, 30,000-year-old drawings, humanity’s earliest dreams, scientists, art scholars, G rating, English language, directed by Werner Herzog, written by Werner Herzog, produced by IFC Films, cinematography by Peter Zeitlinger, reviewed by David Stratton, Paul Byrnes, Stephen Cole, Peter Howell, Marjorie Baumgarten, Ann Hornaday, Werner Herzog as narrator and director and screenwriter, box office gross of $5.2M, IFP Films as distributor, 3D film, Herzog’s infectious enthusiasm, Hauntingly filmed, fascinating triumph, Herzog’s glimpses of the future, Herzog’s philosophizing, Herzog’s admiration, Herzog’s silence, Herzog’s lyricism, Herzog’s existentialism, Herzog’s parallels to cinema, Herzog’s historical realities, Herzog’s engagement, Herzog’s creativity, Herzog’s consistency, Herzog’s body of work, Herzog’s living legend, Herzog’s sublime time machine, Herzog’s one of a kind film, Herzog’s breathtaking beauty, Herzog’s respect for art preservation
Worldwide gross: $8,183,347
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,773,359
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,946
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,174,848
US/Canada gross: $5,304,920
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,983,916
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,714
US/Canada opening weekend: $139,101
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $183,126
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,698
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Peter Zeitlinger – Cinematographer
Director(s)
Werner Herzog
Writer(s)
Werner Herzog
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 21 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (137) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (132) | Rotten (5)
Herzog has used the 3D process with tremendous creativity to make this very beautiful film.
September 21, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
This is what 3-D was made for, puncturing the proscenium and taking us somewhere ”not yet offended”.
September 21, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It is our tour guide that makes Cave of Forgotten Dreams an often thrilling experience.
July 8, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Stephen Cole
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
The overall effect, aided by Ernst Reijseger’s score of rising choral harmonies and lush strings, is rapturous.
July 7, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Herzog’s glimpses of the future can be as otherworldly and singular as his perspective on the past.
May 20, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
To call “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” a great movie isn’t just an understatement, it’s a wildly inaccurate way to describe an experience that, in its immersive sensory pleasures and climactic journey of discovery, more closely resembles an ecstatic trance.
May 6, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Cave of Forgotten Dreams: 3D is an interesting story, told by that quirky friend…
March 24, 2021
Jack Fleischer
Battleship Pretension
This little experiment (said to be the first and the last 3D film by him) confirms that Herzog does whatever he feels like, never following trend, but with astounding consistency. It fits within his body of work very smoothly.
March 21, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a sublime time machine crafted by one of the living legends.
November 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Jordan M. Smith
IONCINEMA.com
Cave of Forgotten Dreams transports its audience into another world, on an intimate visit to France’s Chauvet Cave, where only a handful of modern humans have ever been. It’s one of the most significant 3-D films to ever hit the screen.
November 22, 2019
Catherine Capellaro
Isthmus (Madison, WI)
Herzog tells us, in his inimitable way, why we care about a bunch of old pictures of horses and lions.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
While Herzog’s philosophizing may not be as valid or necessary here as it perhaps has been in a number of prior works such as Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams is unmatched in its enchantment.
December 14, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Matthew Migliorini
CineVue…
Plot
In this documentary, filmmaker Werner Herzog explores the Chauvet Cave in France, where the world’s oldest surviving paintings are preserved and examines how the artwork represents humanity’s earliest dreams with scientists and art scholars conducting research at Chauvet.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels database.
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