SS66 - “What he would give you was always a truth and a half.": A Critical Analysis of Cinematic Truth in the Philosophical Writings of Werner Herzog and Errol Morris.
SCURS Disciplines
Interdisciplinary Studies
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
Within the past several years, the documentary filmmakers, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, have published substantive books on the nature of cinematic truth that have sparked conversations about the nature of truth and its relationship with the nature of documentaries. In documentaries, what is shown can be presented as an objective truth, however it is not. The audience is seeing someone’s creative vision through where the camera is pointed and what parts make it into the final cut. This can be further hindered by the subjectivity of interviews. In Herzog's book, The Future of Truth, he argues fact, or the “accountant’s truth,” is boring compared to the “ecstatic truth.” Herzog is concerned with creating an experience that has a lasting emotional and philosophical impact on the viewer. To him, the ecstatic truth is a method of increasing our understanding of events without the pretense that a documentary can provide the straight, objective truth. While in The Ashtray, Morris claims that truth is real, knowable, and can be uncovered through careful investigation. He rejects the idea of truth as merely a perspective. If there are two contradicting statements, one is a lie. Reenactments are common in his documentaries and are used as a tool to clarify and enhance the truth. I undertake a close reading of The Future of Truth and The Ashtray to understand what truth means to Herzog and Morris, how their definitions compare and contrast, and how these beliefs shape their careers as documentarians and their approach to storytelling.
Keywords
Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, Truth, The Future of Truth, The Astray, Documentary
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
SS66 - “What he would give you was always a truth and a half.": A Critical Analysis of Cinematic Truth in the Philosophical Writings of Werner Herzog and Errol Morris.
University Readiness Center Greatroom
Within the past several years, the documentary filmmakers, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris, have published substantive books on the nature of cinematic truth that have sparked conversations about the nature of truth and its relationship with the nature of documentaries. In documentaries, what is shown can be presented as an objective truth, however it is not. The audience is seeing someone’s creative vision through where the camera is pointed and what parts make it into the final cut. This can be further hindered by the subjectivity of interviews. In Herzog's book, The Future of Truth, he argues fact, or the “accountant’s truth,” is boring compared to the “ecstatic truth.” Herzog is concerned with creating an experience that has a lasting emotional and philosophical impact on the viewer. To him, the ecstatic truth is a method of increasing our understanding of events without the pretense that a documentary can provide the straight, objective truth. While in The Ashtray, Morris claims that truth is real, knowable, and can be uncovered through careful investigation. He rejects the idea of truth as merely a perspective. If there are two contradicting statements, one is a lie. Reenactments are common in his documentaries and are used as a tool to clarify and enhance the truth. I undertake a close reading of The Future of Truth and The Ashtray to understand what truth means to Herzog and Morris, how their definitions compare and contrast, and how these beliefs shape their careers as documentarians and their approach to storytelling.