Sincerest apologies in advance for this first paragraph that hasn't got anything to do with the movie "Fitzcarraldo" itself, but this just so happens to be the five-thousandth review that I submitted to IMDb. Now, I know there are still quite a lot of users around here that have written many more, but still 5.000 is a massive number, and thank you in case you ever took the time to read one!
Since this is a sort of anniversary review, the choice to watch "Fitzcarraldo" obviously wasn't a random one. I selected this one because Klaus Kinski is one of my top-favorite actors (and my number one most fascinating personality in history), and because that previous Herzog/Kinski collaboration "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" is still one of the most stupendous cinematic experiences I ever beheld. I assumed "Fitzcarraldo" would have the same impact.
To my regret, I didn't nearly love this as much as "Aguirre", but it nevertheless remains one of the most unique stories ever told on film, and the hellish production process of the film itself is also notorious. "Fitzcarraldo" got plagued by all possible kinds of misfortunes, from unworkable weather conditions, over numerous accidents & injuries on the set, to original cast members getting struck with diseases and delays that prevented them from completing their work. Add to this the insane perfectionism of director Herzog and the uncontrollable rage-outbursts of lead actor Klaus Kinski, and we've got ourselves a cult monument in every department.
Kinski and the supportive cast are amazing, the authentic Peruvian filming locations are astonishing, the hundreds of devoted extras are astounding, and the dedication of Werner Herzog is utmost admiring. What is missing then? Well, a story, mainly. "Fitzcarraldo" is impressive and jaw-dropping to look at, but there isn't a whole lot happening. In "Aguirre, Wrath of God" there honestly also wasn't a lot happening, but every moment of the film was compelling. The overload of opera music and sequences of a steamboat on the Amazon isn't as compelling. More than two and a half hours is simply too long for a virtually plotless film. And although quite an eccentric and deranged character, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald can't hold a candle to Don Lope de Aguirre, who was a macabre and megalomaniacal creep.
Since this is a sort of anniversary review, the choice to watch "Fitzcarraldo" obviously wasn't a random one. I selected this one because Klaus Kinski is one of my top-favorite actors (and my number one most fascinating personality in history), and because that previous Herzog/Kinski collaboration "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" is still one of the most stupendous cinematic experiences I ever beheld. I assumed "Fitzcarraldo" would have the same impact.
To my regret, I didn't nearly love this as much as "Aguirre", but it nevertheless remains one of the most unique stories ever told on film, and the hellish production process of the film itself is also notorious. "Fitzcarraldo" got plagued by all possible kinds of misfortunes, from unworkable weather conditions, over numerous accidents & injuries on the set, to original cast members getting struck with diseases and delays that prevented them from completing their work. Add to this the insane perfectionism of director Herzog and the uncontrollable rage-outbursts of lead actor Klaus Kinski, and we've got ourselves a cult monument in every department.
Kinski and the supportive cast are amazing, the authentic Peruvian filming locations are astonishing, the hundreds of devoted extras are astounding, and the dedication of Werner Herzog is utmost admiring. What is missing then? Well, a story, mainly. "Fitzcarraldo" is impressive and jaw-dropping to look at, but there isn't a whole lot happening. In "Aguirre, Wrath of God" there honestly also wasn't a lot happening, but every moment of the film was compelling. The overload of opera music and sequences of a steamboat on the Amazon isn't as compelling. More than two and a half hours is simply too long for a virtually plotless film. And although quite an eccentric and deranged character, Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald can't hold a candle to Don Lope de Aguirre, who was a macabre and megalomaniacal creep.