In a masterstroke of casting, Werner Herzog gave the central role of Kaspar Hauser to Bruno S., who had himself been institutionalised for much of his life, giving him a unique understanding of the character. Based on actual events, the film is set in the early part of the nineteenth century, when a young man appears in Nuremberg bearing a note indicating that his name is Kaspar, and that he has spent his life to that point confined in virtual isolation. Quickly becoming a cause célèbre in the scientific community, the near-feral Kaspar, much like Joseph Merrick, is exhibited as a circus sideshow before being rescued by a kindly benefactor, Professor Daumer (Walter Ladengast), under whose tutelage Kaspar flourishes, learning to read and write, and take pleasure in music. However, it is not long before the mystery surrounding Kaspar takes a sinister turn.

IFI Age Recommendation: 12+

Notes by Kevin Coyne