Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Werner Herzog’s first film in 3-D is not being shown in 3-D at the Pageant Theatre. Do not let that be a deterrent. While I would love to watch the stereoscopic version of all those incredible 30,000-year-old charcoal paintings of Ice Age animals recently discovered gracing the undulating walls of France’s Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave, the version I did see was everything a fan of the quirky, brilliant, German über-director could hope for—visually and intellectually interesting, and at times deeply poetic. Ernst Reijseger’s slightly over-the-top, original music—meditative strings and exultant choral singing—supports Herzog’s reverential cinematic treatment of his subject matter. We are drawn into the claustrophobic world of the Chauvet Cave and, before long, Herzog’s inimitable way with a camera and with words has the viewer experiencing an exhilarating, expansive feeling of connection to people who lived tens of thousands of years ago. Pageant Theatre. Not rated