ABSTRACT

The praise Klaus Kinski earned throughout his career was overshadowed by his oft-expressed dismissal of most, if not all, of the films he made. Kinski’s performances of deranged, obsessive men are mirrored by his off-screen antics and vice versa and it becomes increasingly hard to separate the man from the roles. One of the challenges in writing about Kinski is the difficulty in separating the man from the myth. Kinski was entirely self-taught as an actor and worked hard, particularly on his voice, although he was fond of claiming his talent was innate. Kinski’s dedication to European exploitation films seems almost heroic, churning out a bewildering number of cheap genre movies which veer from the remarkable to the slapdash. Kinski’s performance is remarkable, from his array of hideous jumpers – usually worn with a tie – to his louche manner.