Cave of Forgotten Dreams, however, gives us a subject so arresting in itself that, for the most part, Herzog keeps mum and simply observes. The subject is the Chauvet cave in France's Ardèche region, only discovered in 1994. It contains paintings 32,000 years old, the oldest yet unearthed, and they are breathtaking – dynamic, boldly outlined images of horses, rhinos and lions. There are also repeated handprints by an individual with a crooked finger, seemingly the first artist's signature...But Herzog's main concern is to give us a sculptural, tactile impression of the caves: as he films the walls close up, we sense their curvature. As he runs light over them, the surfaces bend, the animals undulate. The film proves – along with Wim Wenders' forthcoming Pina Bausch feature – that 3D isn't just for animation and sci-fi, but can bring an enhanced spatial aspect to material that deserves it. Here, Herzog makes the most not just of the paintings themselves, but of the lacy ripples of calcite on the ground, the stalactites that variously hang like vermicelli or ruched curtains. Because this is lo-fi 3D, more disconcerting things happen: the screen warps strangely, and parts of people's bodies fuse with the background. But such bizarre side effects only add to the overall immediacy.[Johnathan Romney, IoS]