Burden of Dreams (1982)

Director:

Les Blank

Writer:

Michael Goodwin (narration)

Release Date:

1 October 1982 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary on the chaotic production of Werner Herzog's epic 'Fitzcarraldo' , showing how the film...

Plot Keywords:

Interview | Steamboat | Emotion | Rain Forest | Anger

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez	...	Himself (as Huerequeque Bohorquez)
Claudia Cardinale	...	Molly / Herself
Carmen Correa	...	Herself
Nelson De Rio Cenepa	...	Himself
Elia De Rio Ene	...	Himself
Alfredo De Rio Tambo	...	Himself
Miguel Ángel Fuentes	...	Himself
Father Mariano Gagnon	...	Himself
Werner Herzog	...	Himself
Paul Hittscher	...	Himself
Evaristo Nunkuag Ikanan	...	Himself
Mick Jagger	...	Wilbur
Klaus Kinski	...	Fitzcarraldo / Himself
José Lewgoy	...	Himself
Laplace Martins	...	Himself
Thomas Mauch	...	Himself
David Pérez Espinosa	...	Himself
Ángela Reina	...	Herself
Jason Robards	...	Fitzcarraldo
Walter Saxer	...	Himself
Jorge Vignati	...	Himself

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Amazon Basin, Brazil

Company:

Flower Films

Quotes:

Werner Herzog: [On the jungle] Kinski always says it's full of erotic elements. I don't see it so much erotic. I see it more full of obscenity. It's just - Nature here is vile and base. I wouldn't see anything erotical here. I would see fornication and asphyxiation and choking and fighting for survival and...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski (1999)

Werner Herzog as... Himself

Werner Herzog. If you've seen one of his films, you're probably wondering "Okay, what's with this guy?" If you haven't seen one of his films, you probably have absolutely no interest in this film, so I suggest you go see one of his films then return to this page and see this film after you see his film and think, "What's with this guy?" This movie follows a movie of his called Fitzcarraldo which is a mix of the true-life account of an Irish man who founded a city in the Amazon jungle and the tale of Sysiphus, the Greek myth about the guy in Hades who had to carry the heavy rock to the top of the mountain, only to have it roll back down again at the end of the day.

In typical Herzog fashion, his movie begins almost to reflect it's very subject, as Herzog finds himself in the Amazon dealing with hundreds of natives, a dangerous political climate, unaccommodating weather, and having to take a three-story thousand ton ship over the same journey Fitzcarraldo would have to (all in the name of realism). In the meantime he discussing the importance of movies, his own fascination/love/hatred of the jungle, and we see a film nearly self-implode many times over.

It's actually pretty grueling work to watch (as is pretty much most of Herzog's films), and Les Blank definitely shows himself to have an intimate understanding of the situation so that he isn't judgmental of Herzog but still able to reveal some of his more, let's say, quirky traits. Some more interesting subject matter is Klaus Kinski, who as you watch you can never tell if he's acting in a scene or just being himself.

--PolarisDiB