From director Werner Herzog (Nosferatu the Vampyre, Grizzly Man), and featuring in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I was looking forward to seeing this German (available dubbed) film because of the image I had seen, and the critics rated it the full five out of five stars. Basically Brian Sweeney 'Fitzcarraldo' Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) lives in South America and has a great passion for the opera, and he has a dream to build his own opera house in the exotic wilderness so that singers like Caruso, and Pucinni, and Wagner can be enjoyed in these parts. One night Fitcarraldo and his top brothel madam girlfriend Molly (Claudia Cardinale) arrive a little late for a local opera performance, and he manages to catch the attention of Don Aquilino (José Lewgoy), who is interested in financing this plan that the opera enthusiast has. The plan starts with Fitzcarraldo buying a boat with Molly's money, gathering together a small crew, and travelling up the Amazon River where they will head for an area of the jungle where Indiana inhabit, those who kill any white men who enter. They eventually reach the halfway point of the journey, and the tribe accept Fitcarraldo as some kind of God after hearing the music of Caruso, and they are happy to take the commands from the entrepreneur so he can realise his dream. The biggest test in the journey comes when there is a separation on the river to where the boat is heading, this is due to a set of small mountain hills, meaning that the Indians and crew members are forced to drag the one hundred and eighty pound barge over the leg. After this tiring task and the Indians have finished their slavery, the journey on the river continues, and soon runs into another dilemma where the rapids nearly damage the boat, but it ultimately survives the ordeal. In the end, after these hills are conquered, trees are cut down, and perilous waters, the boat reaches its destinations, and becomes the opera house that Fitzcarraldo had imagines, with the stars he loves so much performing their small show, and those that watch admire the wonderful performance, with the entrepreneur standing proud. Also starring Paul Hittscher as Paul the Captain, Miguel Ángel Fuentes as Cholo and Enrique Bohorquez as Huerequeque (The Cook). Kinski gives a great performance as the eccentric and very obsessive man with the love for opera and having his own opera house, the direction by Herzog is well paced, the most exciting scene is certainly the boat being pulled by the ropes up and down the muddy hill, but there is a lot to be enjoyed in this compelling period drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. Very good!
Review of Fitzcarraldo
