Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo." Originally, Jason Robards and Mick Jagger - tinear - Films/DVD Asylum

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Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo." Originally, Jason Robards and Mick Jagger

began filming as its stars but a serious illness struck Robards, forcing Herzog to make changes. The delays meant Mick dropped out because of concert obligations.
Herzog, all-too-familiar with the zaniness of Klaus Kinski from earlier collaborations, had serious doubts that Klinski's tenuous grasp on sanity could withstand months of arduous shooting in the depths of the Amazon. He was right, it seems. Herzog is on record detailing the immense battles they waged, month after month, to complete this film.
The story is that of a visionary who wanted to bring an opera to the Amazon port of Iquitos, some 1200 miles upstream from Manaus, the Brasilian town in which forty rubber barons constructed an opera house for themselves and their families private entertainment.
Fitzgerald, or Fitzcarraldo as the natives mangled his name, devises a scheme to market rubber from an immense stand of trees heretofore unreachable because of treacherous rapids. His plan is to steam up a parallel river and then transport the ship itself over a hillside and down the other side to a point downriver from the rapids. After gathering the rubber, he then plans on reversing the journey, taking the ship back over the hill.
As in "Aguirre," Herzog makes the viewer feel as if he is on this "journey of madness" along with the participants. It almost seems like months pass by as one witnesses the construction of the wooden planking, the massive turnscrews, and the inch-by-inch winching of the ship up the hill.
Herzog is a director like no other.
It is impossible to separate him from his alter-ego, the very mad Klinski.
If you think "Apocalypse Now" was a frightening journey into madness, you need to see this film...

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Topic - Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo." Originally, Jason Robards and Mick Jagger - tinear 08:19:26 03/20/07 (11)

Stories of obsession and insanity: "Fitzcarraldo.", "My best Fiend, and "Incident at Loch Ness" - Bambi B 05:30:59 03/21/07 (3)

You must see the documentary, "Little Dieter Must Fly" - tinear 13:52:52 03/21/07 (1)

Excellent! - Eldragon 19:38:54 03/21/07 (0)

Re: Stories of obsession and insanity: "Fitzcarraldo.", "My best Fiend, and "Incident at Loch Ness" - jamesgarvin 07:51:12 03/21/07 (0)

Kinski treads a thin line between genius and madness - grinagog 19:50:21 03/20/07 (0)

Should arrive tomorrow from Netflix - sjb 18:29:01 03/20/07 (0)

Re: Kinski must has been a real pain, and I wonÂ´t tell you where... - patrickU 11:08:29 03/20/07 (0)

Burdon of Dreams - PhilJ 09:01:16 03/20/07 (3)

Eric Burdon? Burdon of Animals? :-0 nt - tinear 11:23:30 03/20/07 (2)

My spllyng is trrble - PhilJ 16:04:34 03/20/07 (1)

Saw it, as well as the Herzog doc about his "relationship" with - tinear 16:52:54 03/20/07 (0)

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