I feel like you learn something new and interesting about Werner Herzog everyday.

“When you look at Quentin Tarantino or Martin Scorsese, they are obsessed by viewing films. They see one film after the other. And it’s the joy of their lives and their points of reference. In my case, it’s kind of different. I see maybe three or four films a year. Probably less than the average moviegoer.” The admission seemed genuine, and one imagines that this approach accounts for how nonderivative Mr. Herzog’s films are.

His movie-watching tendencies have also had some unexpected consequences. “I love movies, but it’s odd that some of the great highlights of film history I’ve never seen. I’ve never seen ‘Gone With the Wind,’ I’ve never seen ‘Metropolis,'” he confessed, adding that he was looking forward to watching the newly restored version of the silent expressionistic epic.”