Land of Silence and Darkness takes deaf-blindness as its subject and charts a gradual journey into isolation. Bereft of humanity’s common means of communication, Herzog marvels at the attempts of those who are deaf-blind to understand others and make themselves understood. This project feels true to Herzog, given his self-confessed admiration of the illiterate, while also being the gentlest film in his ouvre.
The film follows Fini Straubinger – a woman who was rendered blind-deaf at age 19 following an unfortunate accident. In Straubinger, Herzog has found an ideal entry point to the world of those who can’t see or hear. She approaches every deaf-blind person she encounters by grasping their hand and assuring them “I am like you”. This is a powerful act of acknowledgment for people who are often overlooked and left to inhabit their own isolation. Straubinger herself is privileged in that her deaf-blindness was acquired. As such, she has the privilege of having once known the world and this allows her to support others who are similarly afflicted.
Some of the subjects in Land of Silence and Darkness have not had this privilege and the way that this shapes their lives, thoughts and expression is intriguing. During a visit to a rehabilitation facility that houses deaf-blind adolescents, it is explained that it is considered impossible to teach children born with this condition abstract concepts such as good and bad. The notion that their minds cannot be fully awakened without the ability to see and hear is deeply harrowing, and generates a sense of mystery regarding their inner state.
Herzog takes a particular interest in a 22 year old called Vladimir, who was born deaf-blind and raised by a father who didn’t establish a means of communication with him, thereby failing to tether him to the world in a meaningful way. Consequently, Vladimir cannot walk or speak. He rolls about on the ground, his sole means of expression are blowing raspberries and throwing a ball at himself.
Herzog’s steady, lingering camera reveals a restlessness in Vladimir; a sense that there is much within him that cannot be expressed. Our only clue as to his internal state is when he is handed a radio, which he cradles in his arms while holding a hand over the speaker. It is here that Vladimir stops his restless motion, having finally found a way to interact with the world. His relief is palpable.
Herzog is a master of powerful imagery, and Vladimir’s response to the radio speaker is only one of many incredibly moving images in Land of Silence and Darkness. Herzog’s camera also shows us one of the adolescents in the rehabilitation facility as he revels in a shower, displaying a joyous lack of inhibition as the water splashes over his scalp. When the youth tentatively enters a swimming pool, we are once again reminded of the novel and unsettling nature of a world that one cannot perceive by sight or sound.
Herzog has received criticism for having fabricated some aspects of Land of Silence and Darkness. Of particular concern is that he scripted some of Fini Straubinger’s dialogue in the film. However, the dialogue scripted by Herzog serves to eloquently express the most evocative themes underlying the real events and topics explored in the film. It therefore supports rather than diminishes its subject, and speaks to Herzog’s ability to reveal the “ecstatic truth” underlying the prosaic.
Land of Silence and Darkness makes visible the difficulties of human communication and the terror of not being able to make oneself understood. It is at once Herzog’s quietest film, while remaining deeply affecting. This is even more impressive when one considers that it was created with a budget of $30,000, three crew members and a mere 3 hours of footage. As Herzog says “you only need a good story and guts to make a film, as well as the belief that it must be made”. This is clearly reflected in Land of Silence and Darkness, which feels like an absolutely vital piece of work.
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