Into the Inferno is a Werner Herzog documentary that explores the mesmerizing yet terrifying power of active volcanoes. Herzog and his co-creator, Clive Oppenheimer, travel to various countries to not only witness the boiling lava and throbbing magma but also examine the lives of the people living in their shadows. The film reveals how these communities have developed customs and rituals that are part celebratory and part fearful, acknowledging the destructive force of the volcanoes. With a nihilistic awe, Herzog presents the primeval images of churning red lava and pulsing magma, triggering a kind of horror or ecstasy. Into the Inferno is an intriguing and unnerving documentary that forces viewers to confront the power of nature and our own mortality.
Review of Into the Inferno
