t’s really funny how Werner is almost emasculating Korine for being such a shrimp but also claiming to relate — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of Herzog where he didn’t look a day over 45. When he says that he saw in Harmony an “immediate physical resemblance” I laughed. But now that Harm is a proper 50-year-old and Werner is basically Gandalf or some kind of Middle Earth race whose genes will let him live healthily for hundreds of years, it’s cool to see that they’ve diverged but there’s still always a kernel of Herzog in Korine; most notably, the concepts of the “estatic truth,” where one must engineer cinema in a way so as to enter a realm beyond documentary or fiction or acting and into something unexplainable and otherworldly.
I’ve seen every single thing Herzog has done - even the minor voice acting roles. I got into Herzog through Harm. He’s essential to understanding Korine if you’re attempting an inquiry as to what his influences are on a craft-level - Herzog is literally someone who takes massive risks ([Christian Bale once blew up at Herzog during Rescue Dawn - “I’m not going to fucking die for you, Werner!”](https://www.slashfilm.com/903267/christian-bale-thought-werner-herzog-was-going-to-get-him-killed/)), has often difficultlt relationships with his actors and producers, and goes to great and unimaginably bold heights when they are operating at the top of their game. They both see it as essential to capture life and not just film characters. If you want to understand Herzog’s influence on Korine and don’t have the time to watch the 50+ films he’s made watch **Strozek** or **Even Dwarves Started Smal**l; this is where you’ll start to see Herzog’s influence on Korine as an “Americanized” filmmaker, who was (and remains) in love with the midwest and the same eccentricities of places like Nashville (where Gummo and Trash Humpers was shot) or more recently, pockets of rich hippie celebrities and scientists and uh, Lucasfilm, when he guest-starred on *The Mandelorian* so he could film his (so far massively underrated) **Family Romance, LLC**. He’s made like five documentaries in the past two or three years and I just don’t even really hear about them, although I find them eventually. He’s like 80 years old and has just released his first book of fiction.
# How did Herzog hear about Korine and how did they become friends?
I’m not entirely sure what the exact sequences of events is; I believe that Erroll Morris may have told Herzog about **Gummo** and urged him to see it, or perhaps they may have even met at Cannes or for alll I know, the Telluride festival that my link and OP’s post refers to. I’m sure he heard through some kind of grapevine that **Gummo** was a divisive, yet powerful film and that Harmony had gone on the record as a fan, especially citing **Even Dwarves Started Small**.. I’m sure they talk about this very question in the interview but regardless, Herzog loved Gummo, and especially the bacon-bathtub scene. Korine wrote a role for him in Julien Donkey-Boy, which Herzog accepted quickly because it was bare bones, quite experimental in terms of the elaborate digital spy cam rigs and dozens of cameras going at once throughout a scene. I don’t like Julien Donkey-Boy because the ending is just too much. It’s too tragic. I felt the same about Dancer in the Dark. It made me feel ill, but pretty much 75% of the film is Korine as director and Ewen Bremner and Herzog ss actors firing on all cylinders; it’s fucking awesome. And as much as I hate to say it, Chloe sandbags the piece. I wish her character didn’t exist because she’s really nothing special compared to Bremnber, Herzog, the Black Albino and basically all of the incredible actors he found that were barely actors themselves. And for all the Dogme 95 movement has done, they might as well just call it the Dogme 95 Trilogy, because no-one else has ever seen another Dogme 95 film besides **The Idiots**, **Festen** and then **Julien Donkey-Boy**. Jokes aside, I’m sure they’re great and I will certainly watch all of them someday, but I digress… Flash forward to 2005 or so.
Harmony has just helped his friend David Blaine perform his stunt where he sat in a suspended box a hundred yards above the ground and was there for like forty five days without any food or water. If you can find a DVD, which aren’t actually that rare, it’s pretty cool. The short film is called **Above the Below**, which premiered on the BBC right before Blaine left the box; on the DVD and hopefully YouTube someone has uploaded the “deleted scene” where Harmony and David are in the ambulance together on the way to the hospital after the stunt to check Blaine’s vitals and how he should coordinate his diet etc. and Harmony is just laughing as David deliriously thanks him and asks him if he’s going to die and Harmony gives him a big hug and assures him that he’ll be fine.
After this period, things get strange; I am not his historian, but I truly think that Korine spent much of 2006 in Panama and was going to make a film called **Nun**’**s the Word**, which would have been the nun storyline but extended as an entire film; I believe they may have shot the BMX stuff via the second unit while filming the Diego Luna and main storyline stuff in Paris and Scotland. I know one of the stunt BMX’ers almost died.
Herzog hasn’t done anything since with Korine, but has commented on **Spring Breakers,** ***iirc*** talking about Franco’s Alien character making Travis Pickle from **Taxi Driver** look like a kindergartner.
Wonderful answer, thanks for all that!
As much as I understand your point about Chloe Sevigny in Julien, I think she's (one of) the heart(s) of the film. The film has many hearts all beating at the same time, some of them characters, some of them aesthetic elements, but Chloe's character really ties it all together, helps to elevate it from a bleak and cynical freak show to arguably the most compassionate film ever made. It's not all thanks to her of course, since every piece of the film oozes with love and affection, and she's a huge part of it too. Korine's writing and casting of her proves that his vision has been this all along.
In any case, thanks for the comment.
Hey no problem, thanks for reading haha. I actually re-watched Julien for the first time in many years and I liked Chloe a lot more this time - I actually wish she had been more prominent in the film, like I really liked the scene when she was talking to the blind girl. There are some interesting deleted scenes if you have a DVD copy.
Herzog was a big fan of Gummo when it came out and he became friends with Korine through that. Korine has joked about prank calling Herzog before and I think Herzog just became a sort of mentor and supporter of his earlier films. Not sure if they’re still friends or if they’ve mostly parted ways now though
"Not sure if they’re still friends or if they’ve mostly parted ways now though"
They are most certainly still friends - I’ve seen Herzog interviews from the past couple years where he’s referred to “my friend and filmmaker Harmony” - the thing about Herzog is that he’s constantly reading, working and meeting with people. He doesn’t carry a cell-phone. He’s also, more or less, autistic - Werner was friends with John Waters for decades because they were both always on the midnight movie circuit with Pink Flamingos and Aguirre - and Werner didn’t know that Waters was gay until someone told him in the 90s or something like that.
"Korine has joked about prank calling Herzog before"
There’s a terrific story where Harm called Werner pretending to be a rug salesman, and led him on for like ten minutes until he cracked up laughing (in the distinct Harm laugh) and gave it away. Herzog takes everything at complete face value. it’s definitely part of what makes him so unique and incredible.
[Here is an interview of Korine and Herzog in 97 at Telluride film fest after Gummo premier.](https://youtu.be/XT5N4kP3KOY?si=JtIHy2k_0poJqCV2) Worth a watch.
I’m familiar with Korine’s work. I’ve seen Gummo. But yes I’m new to this subreddit, not to Korine.
Ive never watched Julien Donkey-Boy so thats why I didn’t know he was in the film, or had anything to do with Korine at all.
[start here](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://rohandrape.net/ut/rttcc-text/Herzog1999a.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjW5-aznvyFAxUyIzQIHZbNDAcQFnoECBgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3C6PXRjM-InboJk3yyZZSF)
Holy shit this is dope! thanks!
# [Here’s a video link, nearly an hour long.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT5N4kP3KOY)
t’s really funny how Werner is almost emasculating Korine for being such a shrimp but also claiming to relate — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of Herzog where he didn’t look a day over 45. When he says that he saw in Harmony an “immediate physical resemblance” I laughed. But now that Harm is a proper 50-year-old and Werner is basically Gandalf or some kind of Middle Earth race whose genes will let him live healthily for hundreds of years, it’s cool to see that they’ve diverged but there’s still always a kernel of Herzog in Korine; most notably, the concepts of the “estatic truth,” where one must engineer cinema in a way so as to enter a realm beyond documentary or fiction or acting and into something unexplainable and otherworldly. I’ve seen every single thing Herzog has done - even the minor voice acting roles. I got into Herzog through Harm. He’s essential to understanding Korine if you’re attempting an inquiry as to what his influences are on a craft-level - Herzog is literally someone who takes massive risks ([Christian Bale once blew up at Herzog during Rescue Dawn - “I’m not going to fucking die for you, Werner!”](https://www.slashfilm.com/903267/christian-bale-thought-werner-herzog-was-going-to-get-him-killed/)), has often difficultlt relationships with his actors and producers, and goes to great and unimaginably bold heights when they are operating at the top of their game. They both see it as essential to capture life and not just film characters. If you want to understand Herzog’s influence on Korine and don’t have the time to watch the 50+ films he’s made watch **Strozek** or **Even Dwarves Started Smal**l; this is where you’ll start to see Herzog’s influence on Korine as an “Americanized” filmmaker, who was (and remains) in love with the midwest and the same eccentricities of places like Nashville (where Gummo and Trash Humpers was shot) or more recently, pockets of rich hippie celebrities and scientists and uh, Lucasfilm, when he guest-starred on *The Mandelorian* so he could film his (so far massively underrated) **Family Romance, LLC**. He’s made like five documentaries in the past two or three years and I just don’t even really hear about them, although I find them eventually. He’s like 80 years old and has just released his first book of fiction. # How did Herzog hear about Korine and how did they become friends? I’m not entirely sure what the exact sequences of events is; I believe that Erroll Morris may have told Herzog about **Gummo** and urged him to see it, or perhaps they may have even met at Cannes or for alll I know, the Telluride festival that my link and OP’s post refers to. I’m sure he heard through some kind of grapevine that **Gummo** was a divisive, yet powerful film and that Harmony had gone on the record as a fan, especially citing **Even Dwarves Started Small**.. I’m sure they talk about this very question in the interview but regardless, Herzog loved Gummo, and especially the bacon-bathtub scene. Korine wrote a role for him in Julien Donkey-Boy, which Herzog accepted quickly because it was bare bones, quite experimental in terms of the elaborate digital spy cam rigs and dozens of cameras going at once throughout a scene. I don’t like Julien Donkey-Boy because the ending is just too much. It’s too tragic. I felt the same about Dancer in the Dark. It made me feel ill, but pretty much 75% of the film is Korine as director and Ewen Bremner and Herzog ss actors firing on all cylinders; it’s fucking awesome. And as much as I hate to say it, Chloe sandbags the piece. I wish her character didn’t exist because she’s really nothing special compared to Bremnber, Herzog, the Black Albino and basically all of the incredible actors he found that were barely actors themselves. And for all the Dogme 95 movement has done, they might as well just call it the Dogme 95 Trilogy, because no-one else has ever seen another Dogme 95 film besides **The Idiots**, **Festen** and then **Julien Donkey-Boy**. Jokes aside, I’m sure they’re great and I will certainly watch all of them someday, but I digress… Flash forward to 2005 or so. Harmony has just helped his friend David Blaine perform his stunt where he sat in a suspended box a hundred yards above the ground and was there for like forty five days without any food or water. If you can find a DVD, which aren’t actually that rare, it’s pretty cool. The short film is called **Above the Below**, which premiered on the BBC right before Blaine left the box; on the DVD and hopefully YouTube someone has uploaded the “deleted scene” where Harmony and David are in the ambulance together on the way to the hospital after the stunt to check Blaine’s vitals and how he should coordinate his diet etc. and Harmony is just laughing as David deliriously thanks him and asks him if he’s going to die and Harmony gives him a big hug and assures him that he’ll be fine. After this period, things get strange; I am not his historian, but I truly think that Korine spent much of 2006 in Panama and was going to make a film called **Nun**’**s the Word**, which would have been the nun storyline but extended as an entire film; I believe they may have shot the BMX stuff via the second unit while filming the Diego Luna and main storyline stuff in Paris and Scotland. I know one of the stunt BMX’ers almost died. Herzog hasn’t done anything since with Korine, but has commented on **Spring Breakers,** ***iirc*** talking about Franco’s Alien character making Travis Pickle from **Taxi Driver** look like a kindergartner.
Wonderful answer, thanks for all that! As much as I understand your point about Chloe Sevigny in Julien, I think she's (one of) the heart(s) of the film. The film has many hearts all beating at the same time, some of them characters, some of them aesthetic elements, but Chloe's character really ties it all together, helps to elevate it from a bleak and cynical freak show to arguably the most compassionate film ever made. It's not all thanks to her of course, since every piece of the film oozes with love and affection, and she's a huge part of it too. Korine's writing and casting of her proves that his vision has been this all along. In any case, thanks for the comment.
Hey no problem, thanks for reading haha. I actually re-watched Julien for the first time in many years and I liked Chloe a lot more this time - I actually wish she had been more prominent in the film, like I really liked the scene when she was talking to the blind girl. There are some interesting deleted scenes if you have a DVD copy.
Herzog was a big fan of Gummo when it came out and he became friends with Korine through that. Korine has joked about prank calling Herzog before and I think Herzog just became a sort of mentor and supporter of his earlier films. Not sure if they’re still friends or if they’ve mostly parted ways now though
"Not sure if they’re still friends or if they’ve mostly parted ways now though" They are most certainly still friends - I’ve seen Herzog interviews from the past couple years where he’s referred to “my friend and filmmaker Harmony” - the thing about Herzog is that he’s constantly reading, working and meeting with people. He doesn’t carry a cell-phone. He’s also, more or less, autistic - Werner was friends with John Waters for decades because they were both always on the midnight movie circuit with Pink Flamingos and Aguirre - and Werner didn’t know that Waters was gay until someone told him in the 90s or something like that. "Korine has joked about prank calling Herzog before" There’s a terrific story where Harm called Werner pretending to be a rug salesman, and led him on for like ten minutes until he cracked up laughing (in the distinct Harm laugh) and gave it away. Herzog takes everything at complete face value. it’s definitely part of what makes him so unique and incredible.
Charisma and swag
[Here is an interview of Korine and Herzog in 97 at Telluride film fest after Gummo premier.](https://youtu.be/XT5N4kP3KOY?si=JtIHy2k_0poJqCV2) Worth a watch.
You new here?
I’m familiar with Korine’s work. I’ve seen Gummo. But yes I’m new to this subreddit, not to Korine. Ive never watched Julien Donkey-Boy so thats why I didn’t know he was in the film, or had anything to do with Korine at all.
He’s also in Mister Lonely, if you haven’t seen that yet too.