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Werner Herzog: king of the ‘sad beige aesthetic’

If you say "Werner Herzog", you say "sad beige". At least, if you follow the trends on TikTok and Instagram a bit. There, Hayley DeRoche garners many views and likes under the name That Sad Beige Lady with her parodies of the 'sad beige aesthetic', a trend among (mainly) metropolitan young parents who are averse to bright colors and provide their children with toys and clothes in earthy tones that match their interior. She pokes fun at this by referring to Werner Herzog's films, in which beige often predominates and a predilection for marginalized or excluded people appears. She provides advertisements for expensive children's brands with a melancholic aesthetic with cynical, drily comic commentary in Herzog's German accent.

By Eye Editors11 July 2023

Master of the unconventional, Werner Herzog is known for his extraordinary use of color to create emotions and atmospheres. He has developed a unique visual style in his films, in which the use of color plays an important role. He embraces vibrant, saturated colors as well as muted, sometimes even monochromatic tones to convey different emotions.

Beige is often associated with neutrality and simplicity – concepts that are at odds with Herzog's unorthodox oeuvre. But precisely because it is a color that evokes little emotion, it can serve as a background or canvas on which other elements can stand out. In his films, Herzog often uses beige to emphasize the characters' surroundings. It can be seen in natural landscapes, deserts, or even in the buildings and structures he captures.

The choice of beige evokes a feeling of desolation and isolation. It serves as a visual representation of the human condition in Herzog's films, where the characters often face extreme conditions and loneliness. And beige can evoke a sense of timelessness, inviting the viewer to ask deeper questions about existence and the meaning of life.

Beige also fits the concept of ecstatic truth, a term Herzog uses to describe his approach to (documentary) films. By that, he means that he focuses on the emotional and spiritual truth of a subject, rather than sticking strictly to objective facts. The use of beige helps to create a certain distance between the viewer and reality, creating room for interpretation. It invites the viewer to deeper reflection about (truth in) the film.

still from Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, DE/PE 1982)
still from Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, DE/PE 1982)

In his masterpiece Fitzcarraldo (1982) we see Herzog's preference for rich, earthy tones. In this film, he uses a predominantly blue and beige color scheme to emphasize the harsh and challenging environment of the Amazon. This minimalist use of color gives the film a sense of isolation and loneliness, with the characters confronted by a world that is both beautiful and unapproachable.

still from Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, US 2005)
still from Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog, US 2005)

Another example of Herzog's fondness for beige can be found in his documentary Grizzly Man. This film tells the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who lived with grizzly bears in Alaska for many years. Herzog uses a striking amount of muted colors here, especially different shades of brown and beige. Herzog experimented with these shades to emphasize the layering and dark side of human emotions. The color palette in Grizzly Man not only symbolizes the wilderness Treadwell finds himself in but also his obsessive and tragic relationship with the bears.

poster Werner Herzog – The Ecstatic Truth

Werner Herzog – The Ecstatic Truth

Eye Filmmuseum presents an exhibition and extensive film programme around the work of celebrated filmmaker Werner Herzog. With an unorthodox oeuvre of more than seventy features, documentaries and shorts, Herzog has fascinated audiences with unforgettable stories, images and characters for more than half a century. His films grant us insights into the relationship between people and the chaotic world around them, as well as into the endless indifference of nature towards human life.