Precautions Against Fanatics
Encyclopedia
Precautions Against Fanatics is a short film by Werner Herzog
filmed at a harness racing
track near Munich, Germany.
It was Herzog's first film shot in color.
The film features several horse trainers and other track workers talking about their roles at the track, always eventually interrupted by an older man who claims to be the true authority, and demands that they be thrown out. One recurring young man, the first to appear, claims that he protects the horses from enthusiastic racing fans. He does not appear to be employed by the track, but seems to provide his services voluntarily. His protection from "fanatics" gives the film its title. Also featured is a man who trains the horses by walking them around a tree for 36 hours at a time, and a man whose job is "doping
" the horses with garlic
before races. The film ends with the young man who protects against fanatics seated at a zoo
. He says that the track officials asked him to leave, and now he protects the zoo's flamingo
s from fanatics.
The film is shot in a documentary
style, but the sheer implausibility of the dialogue leaves the exact nature of the film ambiguous. The director states that the film is intended to be humorous, and Herzog's official website describes the film as an "Elaborate on-camera practical joke."
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
filmed at a harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
track near Munich, Germany.
It was Herzog's first film shot in color.
The film features several horse trainers and other track workers talking about their roles at the track, always eventually interrupted by an older man who claims to be the true authority, and demands that they be thrown out. One recurring young man, the first to appear, claims that he protects the horses from enthusiastic racing fans. He does not appear to be employed by the track, but seems to provide his services voluntarily. His protection from "fanatics" gives the film its title. Also featured is a man who trains the horses by walking them around a tree for 36 hours at a time, and a man whose job is "doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
" the horses with garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
before races. The film ends with the young man who protects against fanatics seated at a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
. He says that the track officials asked him to leave, and now he protects the zoo's flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
s from fanatics.
The film is shot in a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
style, but the sheer implausibility of the dialogue leaves the exact nature of the film ambiguous. The director states that the film is intended to be humorous, and Herzog's official website describes the film as an "Elaborate on-camera practical joke."