Heart of Glass

Released Dec 17, 1976

1h 33m

Drama

List

93%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

72%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

In a rural community, a local artist known for making brilliant glass sculptures dies without passing on to anyone the skills of his trade. Huttenbesitzer (Stefan Güttler), who owns the town's glass factory, obsessively attempts to recover the deceased artist's lost knowledge. The villagers employed by Huttenbesitzer also become bewitched by the secrets of glass. Despite the warnings of Hias (Josef Bierbichler), who claims to be a prophet, the possessed locals slowly descend into madness.

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Jill Forbes

Sight & Sound

Herzog is far too much of a maverick to allow us to see universal significance in these moments. He is very much the visionary outsider that Hias is. But it's the vision that counts in the end.

Feb 6, 2020

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

I think it should be approached like a piece of music, in which we comprehend everything in terms of mood and aura, and know how it makes us feel even if we can't say what it makes us think.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 9, 2018

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

The elusiveness of Heart of Glass makes it something of a disappointment. But it is too mysteriously lovely to be regarded as a failure.

Rated: 3/5

May 9, 2005

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Some of the auteur’s most bizarre Kinski-free features...

Nov 10, 2023

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Episode 50: Heart of Glass / Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives / Sunset

Rated: 90/100

Oct 18, 2021

Full Review

Fernando Trueba

El Pais (Spain)

Heart of Glass may not be an accomplished film, but it is a film of rare beauty. [Full Review in Spanish]

Jul 25, 2019

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John A

A subtle fairy-tale kind of story told in a very ethereal kind of way

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/25/23

Full Review

georgan g

The visuals in this movie are stunning. Shots that took days to set up, plus luck. To understand more than that, you must watch it with Herzog's commentary.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Far out is an understatement to describe this film. Its downright Dull, Dreary and dumb. The reason Im being generous to give it 2 stars is only due to the accurate depictions of our current events predictions. Some of the hypnotized actors may Very well be Biblically prophetic especially when Hias predicts our current Plandemic and Famine along side the Christian persecution from the Roman Catholics and their Anti Pope. Otherwise There is nothing interesting about this film at all. If you like watching glass making Art Id recommend a documentary about the craft itself. I might use this Dvd as a coaster to rest my actual glasses on one of these days. If Im feeling the 3 days of Darkness coming on... Could be sooner rather than later !

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Heart of Glass" comes from a truly rare breed of films. Indeed, even the use of the term "breed" feels like a misnomer in light of the profoundly singular experience offered by this enigmatic work. Alongside "2001 A Space Odyssey," Herzog's "Heart of Glass" stands nearly alone in its ability to illuminate the kinds of deeply visceral and even mystical truths that have hitherto proven accessible only to the most skilled and introspective of poets. It may furthermore be convincingly suggested that the revelation of such truths is indicative of the highest form of artistic aspiration, and that Herzog profoundly ennobles the cinema with the resounding success of his creative vision. In terms of overarching themes, my own feeling is that the film evokes a sense of man's intractable fixation on oblivion, the essence of which is the inseparable mixture of deeply felt horror and unremitting curiosity with respect to an almost certain eventual apocalypse. Put another way, Herzog's film creates a kind of symphony emerging from prophetic ruminations over the inexorable tumbling of creation into the everlasting abyss. His greatest success relates to the remarkable way in which he demonstrates the playful and ineffable nature of the cataclysm, creating something akin to a spiritual experience for the contemplative viewer. Plainly stated, to behold such a work is to be hypnotized, stunned, and awed by the majesty of not only cinema but creation itself.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

andrey k

In the process, while I was watching it, it seemed indeed strange and quite bizarre; in comparison with it even "Blue Velvet" pales in regards to idiosyncrasy. But in the end, seeing it at as a whole it weighs much more heavier; it's philosophical and hard to grasp at once. The ending alone deserves the very high praise, when men in doubt embarked on the voyage to see the edge of the world. I'm sure time and reflection will even more improve my opinion of this movie;

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mysterious and genuinely hypnotic to watch, perhaps because the actors themselves are hypnotised throughout! A bit loose thematically, but Herzog's vision is so well realised through profound imagery. A fascinating experiment.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Werner Herzog

Director

Josef Bierbichler

Hias

Stefan Güttler

Huttenbesitzer

Clemens Scheitz

Adalbert

Sonja Skiba

Ludmilla

Wolf Albrecht

Actor

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Fitzcarraldo

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92%

Stroszek

86%

76%

Woyzeck

83%

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92%

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Synopsis

In a rural community, a local artist known for making brilliant glass sculptures dies without passing on to anyone the skills of his trade. Huttenbesitzer (Stefan Güttler), who owns the town's glass factory, obsessively attempts to recover the deceased artist's lost knowledge. The villagers employed by Huttenbesitzer also become bewitched by the secrets of glass. Despite the warnings of Hias (Josef Bierbichler), who claims to be a prophet, the possessed locals slowly descend into madness.

Director: Werner Herzog
Screenwriter: Herbert Achternbusch, Werner Herzog
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Production Co: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 21, 2016
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Mono

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