Transgression and Transcendence in the Films of

The films of Werner Herzog present us with a very unique and distinct dilemma, namely, the difficulty of admiring protagonists who very often perform unappealing acts in order to satisfy their own desires, needs, or ambitions. A good many of Herzog’s characters transgress because they seek transcendence. Not every Herzogian hero chases futile dreams, but the majority of his films depict characters in dire circumstances where they either deliberately choose or are forced to transgress. Transgression is a philosophical, sociological, and spiritual concept that connotes boundary-crossing, wrongdoing, sin, or, more figuratively, self-searching. Herzog’s ‘outsider ’ characters allow us to recognize the boundaries that have been constructed by social institutions, and the transgressions show us the moral and ethical constraints that compel people to transgress. Contexts and circumstances also guide Herzog’s characters ’ dreams and motivations, but the binary and often competing concepts of transgression and transcendence provide a thematic and formal link in many of Herzog’s films. Herzog’s films are typically wrought with careful attention to mise-en-scène, cinematography, and narrative structure. Many of his films have characters who transgress given the nature of their circumstances. I want to discuss several of his films and their protagonists, ones that very deliberately seek alternative ways of existing. These characters live in worlds where seeking transcendence means committing a transgression or a series of transgressions. The philosophical interpretation of transgressive behaviour has perhaps been best articulated by Georges Bataille and Michel Foucault. And while Herzog does not directly confront either in his films, their insights into individual behaviour do belie a certain tendency of his characters who seek transcendence through transgression. The purpose of transgression or transgressive acts is to transport one to other realms—to literally o