Werner Herzog with Michael Shannon should be enough of a pitch to garner ticket purchases — two talented, wildly strange talents, both of whom have established names for themselves on their own terms, in their own way. So comes the French trailer for Herzog’s latest work of fiction, the thriller Salt and Fire, which sees Shannon pondering the nature of perspective and differing realities over images of heavily-geared gunmen and and lots of sand. While it seems destined to divide people, could we really ask anything else of Herzog?
We said in our review, “Yet Salt and Fire’s strange rhythms are so in-tune with Shannon’s own performance and inherent presence that he, the heir apparent to the Christopher Walken throne in terms of The Great American Weird Actor, seems to emerge as something of a co-author. Matt is seen as terrorist, philosopher, and father — one of the highlights being when he monologues about a parrot at one point — and the film reaches at something metaphysical all while being a chamber drama. (Albeit a jittery one, due to the camera work.)”
See the preview below for the film that also stars Gael García Bernal, Anita Briem, and Herzog himself:
Update: See the U.S. version below.
The United Nations has sent a scientific delegation, led by researchers Laura (Veronica Ferres) and Fabio (Gael García Bernal), to investigate rare South American geological formations. But as soon as they land, the crew is kidnapped by minions of rogue businessman Matt Riley (Michael Shannon), who has his own agenda when it comes to environmental protection. Deep inside his compound, Laura becomes separated from her fellow explorers and drawn deeper into Riley’s world, but try as she might, she can’t predict his final plan.
Salt and Fire will arrive on April 7.