"Without dreams we would be cows in a field"
When he first shows up in Fitzcarraldo, having rowed his boat for two days after the motor died, hands blistered and bloody, wearing a crumpled white suit, Fitzcarraldo begs to be let into Teatro Amazones because he had come so far. The usher relents and allows him to stand at the back. It is immediately evident, and I think would be so if I didn't already know the plot of the film, that this guy is pretty close to insane. While his actions prove it, what really sells it are Klaus Kinski. No one sane man can have the intense cold stare of his blue eyes, amplified by his crazy white hair. This man is crazy.
When he first shows up in Burden of Dreams, having had to cancel his initial attempt to film Fitzcarraldo due to the death threats and the rumors of the genocide waged by his film crew on the natives by the faction of the tribal council opposed to his filming in their territory, Werner Herzog, actually looks remarkably sane. His bushy hair and mustache look perfectly at home in the 1980. He's young and full of vigor. Do not let his looks fool you--this man is as insane as the subject of his film.
I think the first that I had heard of Burden of Dreams was that it topped Gene Siskel's list of the top ten movies of 1982. Odd for a making-of documentary about another film. But since then, I had wanted to see this film. And Fitzcarraldo, too, to be sure, but really only so as to be adequately prepared for Burden of Dreams. I had heard some of the troubles before--Jason Robards's amebic dysentary forcing him to withdraw after they had shot 40% of the film. At this time, Mick Jagger had to withdraw as well. The natives were restless, as was Klaus Kinski. But I suppose I was totally unprepared for Werner Herzog.
Plus, as an unexpected special treat, the Criterion Collection DVD of Burden of Dreams has the 20-minute film Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, in which the director follows through on his promise to Errol Morris on what he would do if Morris made his debut film Gates of Heaven. Les Blank made this film when Herzog took a break from filming Burden of Dreams for this meal (The first meal that he had cooked in over a year, he lamented.) and then returned to the jungle with Herzog to film him at work. In these two films, Blank presents such a fascinating portait of Herzog. See them.
When he first shows up in Burden of Dreams, having had to cancel his initial attempt to film Fitzcarraldo due to the death threats and the rumors of the genocide waged by his film crew on the natives by the faction of the tribal council opposed to his filming in their territory, Werner Herzog, actually looks remarkably sane. His bushy hair and mustache look perfectly at home in the 1980. He's young and full of vigor. Do not let his looks fool you--this man is as insane as the subject of his film.
I think the first that I had heard of Burden of Dreams was that it topped Gene Siskel's list of the top ten movies of 1982. Odd for a making-of documentary about another film. But since then, I had wanted to see this film. And Fitzcarraldo, too, to be sure, but really only so as to be adequately prepared for Burden of Dreams. I had heard some of the troubles before--Jason Robards's amebic dysentary forcing him to withdraw after they had shot 40% of the film. At this time, Mick Jagger had to withdraw as well. The natives were restless, as was Klaus Kinski. But I suppose I was totally unprepared for Werner Herzog.
Plus, as an unexpected special treat, the Criterion Collection DVD of Burden of Dreams has the 20-minute film Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, in which the director follows through on his promise to Errol Morris on what he would do if Morris made his debut film Gates of Heaven. Les Blank made this film when Herzog took a break from filming Burden of Dreams for this meal (The first meal that he had cooked in over a year, he lamented.) and then returned to the jungle with Herzog to film him at work. In these two films, Blank presents such a fascinating portait of Herzog. See them.
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