Into the Inferno is a 2016 documentary film directed by Werner Herzog. In it, Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer explore active volcanoes around the world, especially how they have impacted the cultures of the people who live near them. The film had its world premiere at the 43rd Telluride Film Festival on 3 September 2016 before it began streaming on Netflix on 28 October.
| Into the Inferno | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Werner Herzog |
| Written by | Werner Herzog |
| Based on | Eruptions that Shook the World by Clive Oppenheimer |
| Produced by | André Singer Lucki Stipetić |
| Starring | Clive Oppenheimer |
| Narrated by | Werner Herzog |
| Cinematography | Peter Zeitlinger |
| Edited by | Joe Bini |
Production companies | Spring Films Werner Herzog Film |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Germany |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editIn his exploration of active volcanoes in Vanuatu, Indonesia (Mount Sinabung and Mount Merapi), Ethiopia (Erta Ale), Iceland, and North Korea (Paektu Mountain), Herzog is led by volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, who hopes to minimize destructive impact of volcanoes through his work. The primary goal of Herzog's quest is to get a better idea of our origins and nature as a species. He finds volcanoes mysterious, violent, and rapturously beautiful, and claims that "there is no single one that is not connected to a belief system."[1]
Release
editThe film had its world premiere at the 43rd Telluride Film Festival on 3 September 2016.[2] It screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September,[3] and opened the Muestra de Cine de Lanzarote on November 22.[4] Netflix made the film available for streaming worldwide on 28 October.[5][6]
Critical reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 49 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 7.50/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Into the Inferno finds director Werner Herzog observing some of the most beautiful -- and terrifying -- wonders of the natural world with his signature blend of curiosity and insight."[7] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[8]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Director (TV/Streaming) | Nominated | [9] |
| Best Documentary Feature (TV/Streaming) | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | FOCAL International Awards | Best Use of Wildlife and Natural History Footage | Nominated | [10] |
| News & Documentary Emmy Awards | Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary | Nominated | [11] |
Related films by Werner Herzog
edit- La Soufrière (1977) – a short documentary film about an anticipated eruption of the La Grande Soufrière volcano in Guadeloupe
- Encounters at the End of the World (2007) – a documentary film about Antarctica and the people who choose to spend time there, including Oppenheimer, who is featured in the film when Herzog goes to Mount Erebus
- Salt and Fire (2016) – a fictional thriller film about the imminent eruption of a supervolcano in Bolivia
- The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft (2022) – a documentary film about the French volcanologists, who are discussed in a segment of Into the Inferno. Katia and Maurice Krafft died on 3 June 1991 in a pyroclastic flow produced by the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan.
References
edit- ^ Van Syckle, Katie. "What We Learned from Werner Herzog's New Movie About Volcanos". Men's Journal. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Farber, Stephen (4 September 2016). "'Into the Inferno': Telluride Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Into the Inferno". tiff.net. Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Rivera, Alfonso (3 December 2018). "The Image You Missed voted Best Film on Lanzarote". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ Malone, Michael (9 August 2016). "Netflix Unveils Amanda Knox Documentary". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ "Netflix to Unveil Four Original Documentaries at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival". Netflix Media Center. Netflix. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^ "Into the Inferno (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Into the Inferno". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "2016: Inaugural Critics Choice Documentary Awards – Winners". Critics' Choice Awards. 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "THE FOCAL INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 2017 - Best Use of Footage About the Natural World". FOCAL International. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "NOMINEES FOR THE 38th ANNUAL NEWS & DOCUMENTARY EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). 19 September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2020.
