Fitzcarraldo
PG
Fitzcarraldo, a foreigner obsessed with building an opera house in his Peruvian town decides that to make his dream a reality he needs to make a killing in the rubber business, so he hatches an elaborate plan: with the help of his loyal crew and an indigenous tribe, Fitzcarraldo will journey up the rivers of the Amazon with his steamship, to realise his dreams.
Inspired by a true story and one of the most chaotic and dangerous productions in movie history, Fitzcarraldo is both a confessional self-portrait of Herzog the adventuring artist and a tale of obsessive madness, the violent arguments between Herzog and his star Klaus Kinski laid bare in the story as they attempt to actually recreate the feat of hauling a full size ship over a mountain.
Watch Herzog's masterpiece in advance of the beautifully restored documentary of its troubled creation, Burden of Dreams, which we'll be playing from w/c 23rd May. Buy your tickets here.
Details
“It is perhaps the pinnacle of the director’s labor, and it is arguably the most formidable and defining image of his career.”
Slant Magazine
““Fitzcarraldo” (1982) is one of those brave and epic films, like “Apocalypse Now” or “2001,” where we are always aware both of the film, and of the making of the film.”
Roger Ebert
“Arguably the greatest achievement from the hugely volatile Herzog/Kinski partnership.”
Empire
