“It’s only the dreamers that move mountains,” Molly declares about her man Fritzcarraldo. He’s really not a man who moves mountains, but he will attempt to move a huge object over a mountain. Director Werner Herzog doesn’t merely make a movie, but captures an extraordinary event that borders on madness. How can this be? Fitzcarraldo is a tale not told with movie magic, but grit, sweat and desire.
Brian Sweeney “Fitzcarraldo” Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) was a real man who loved the opera so much, Even though he lived in Peru, he dreamed of building an opera house in the jungle that would be fabulous enough for the great Enrico Caruso to honor its stage. But how could he earn enough money to make it a reality? The rubber market was bouncing. Most of the jungle had already been claimed. There was only one spot still open. The property’s isolated because the main river’s rapids made it impossible for a boat to have safe passage. The only chance he had was to get a boat over land between two rivers. But this isn’t just a canal building tale since the passage involves going up a mountain. People thought he was foolish. But for the sake of opera, he’ll figure out a way to do the impossible. The only person who believes him is Molly (The Pink Panther‘s Claudia Cardinale). She backs his dream using the cash from her brothel. Can he really pull it off? Will Caruso arrive in the land of the Incas?
Herzog’s documentary style of filmmaking brings out the enormity of the project. This isn’t sleek movie that seeks to dazzle the eyes. The action proves to be as rugged as the terrain. The native actors are really pulling a boat up the mountain and not relying on a CGI effect from James Cameron. The challenge of the climb has more tension than the ropes pulling it up. Although few things are a tightly wound as Kinski. He’s brilliant in the role of a man obsessed by the outrageous desire. He will not back down from the impossible. He also doesn’t seem to care who gets hurt making his dream happen. A few of the locals suffer an industrial accident. .
Fitzcarraldo is amazing cinema because an impossible task is being performed for the camera. The grunting, sweating and danger is real. The ending is equally heartbreaking and uplifting. No need to give away that much of the film except you can feel both joy and pain in the face of Kinski. He’s not completely a madman. This is a great bookend for Aguirre: The Wrath of God which also put Kinski and Werner on a South American river. The difference in the performances is that Kinski tapped into a charm of Fitzcarraldo that wasn’t inside the deranged Aguirre. Fitzcarraldo ultimately is a masterwork about the power of art overcoming nature’s boundaries.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfer brings out the beauty of the jungle. The shots of the boat going up the mountain are raw and glorious. Audio is 5.1 DTS English Master Audio and a 2.0 DTS-HD Master audio. The sounds of the jungle will surround you. There’s also a 2.0 DTS-HD German Master Audio to hear Klaus in his native tongue. The movie is subtitled in English.
Commentary Tracks include one of Werner Herzog being interviewed by Lucki Stipetic. A second track has Werner speaking in German. Luckily it is subtitled for those whose understanding of the language is mostly the name of German soccer players.
Theatrical Trailer (3:09) does a great job of setting up so much about the film. It’s packed full of Klaus, water, opera and a boat going up the hill.
Still Gallery (15:42) is a montage of production photos, lobby cards, behind the scenes pics and promotional material.
Fitzcarraldo is about the extremes a person will go through for their passion. The fact that Herzog has a real boat going up the mountain makes this more than a movie. It’s a work of art and engineering.
Shout! Factory presents Fitzcarraldo. Directed by: Werner Herzog. Written by: Werner Herzog. Starring: Werner Herzog & Claudia Cardinale. Running Time: 157 minutes. Rated: PG. Released: January 13, 2015.
