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INTO THE INFERNO

Volcanoes are all over the world and we know so many scientific facts about them. They are majestic and very dangerous, but there is also culture, religion and much more that always surrounds these amazing creations of nature. Into the Inferno by Werner Herzog is a beautiful documentary that tells you all about volcanoes and takes you on a behind the scenes tour.

This documentary is quite educational and the creators of the film share their gigantic adventure around the world which is exciting and quite dangerous. There may be a couple of jokes here and there, but this film is not a comedy. Its main purpose is to show the beauty, danger and culture of volcanoes in an entertaining fashion.

This film follows Werner Herzog (Director) and Clive Oppenheimer (Volcanologist) as they explore the most unique volcanoes on Earth. From the coldest places in Antarctica to the hottest places in Ethiopia, to even the most mysterious places deep in the jungle or on remote islands. They not only talk to local scientists and experts about the area and the volcano, but they talk to the local villagers to hear about the culture and religion in each areas.

Simply put, this documentary is beautiful. There is no better word to describe it. The camera work is spectacular and borderline dangerous. Many of the volcanoes they visit are open and have visible magma lakes inside them. This makes getting the footage very challenging, but the crew manages to pull it off. On top of that, most documentaries only explore the science of volcanoes, but this one talks about so many other aspects of volcanoes. For example, in Ethiopia, they talk about archaeology and how volcanoes help preserve fossils. This allows the viewer to learn about not only the volcanoes but the many myths and rituals surrounding them. One small issue is that, if you are not passionate about learning about science or about culture, some scenes may be slightly boring or feel stretched. Otherwise, the director Werner Herzog has produced a perfect documentary that is truly educational and entertaining.

My favorite scene is when they go to Antarctica to see a massive volcano there. Not only does it just show how hard the crew works to get the footage, it also is mind-blowing to see freezing snow temperatures with a giant hot volcano right in the middle of it. In many scenes in Antarctica, they are right on the ridge of the volcano, looking down at the massive magma lake within the volcano surrounded by magnificent ice. This is absolutely spectacular and scary to watch at the same time.

There are many parts of the film that are either socially or politically mature in terms of cultures, which makes it unsuitable for very young children. I recommend this for ages 12 to 18. I give it 4 ½ out of 5 stars because it achieves perfect cinematography, is a unique concept and very educational, but it does feel a bit stretched out.

Reviewed by Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

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Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer travel the globe and visit volcanoes in Indonesia, Ethiopia and even North Korea in an attempt to understand man's relationship with one of nature's most violent wonders.