mondojohnson

Continuing my Werner Herzog kick with this masterpiece.

Fitzcarraldo (Klaus Kinski) is an eccentric obsessive living in Peru in the early 20th century. He dreams of bringing the opera to the jungle, and to finance his scheme he embarks on a steamboat adventure to lay claim to a wild patch of forest.

He envisions a new trading route, and blazes its trail by dragging his entire ship over an overgrown hill. His original crew having abandoned him, he enlists the help of the indigenous people, who really throw themselves into it.

As in his other films, Herzog portrays the Indians with reverence. They are not dimwitted savages cowed by the invaders: they are a highly functional and beautiful culture. (“They don’t think that we’re gods,” the Peruvian cook tells Fitzcarraldo. “They are fascinated with the ship, though.”)

Major props to Anchor Bay, who released this DVD (as well as Aguirre..). The print is flawless, providing a hauntingly lush visual experience.