IMDb > Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Fitzcarraldo
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Fitzcarraldo (1982) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
Fitzcarraldo (1982) -- The story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of the Peruvian jungle.
IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   8,645 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 16% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Werner Herzog
Writer:
Werner Herzog (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Fitzcarraldo on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 October 1982 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | Drama | Music more
Plot:
The story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of the Peruvian jungle. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
Herzog to Head Berlin Film Festival
 (From The Wrap. 19 November 2009, 10:26 AM, PST)
Werner Herzog: The Movieline Interview
 (From Movieline. 18 November 2009, 7:00 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad... more (66 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Klaus Kinski ... Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo'

Claudia Cardinale ... Molly

José Lewgoy ... Don Aquilino
Miguel Ángel Fuentes ... Cholo
Paul Hittscher ... Captain (Orinoco Paul)
Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez ... Huerequeque (The Cook) (as Huerequeque Enrique Bohórquez)
Grande Otelo ... Station master (as Grande Othelo)
Peter Berling ... Opera Manager
David Pérez Espinosa ... Chief of Campa Indians
Milton Nascimento ... Blackman At Opera House
Ruy Polanah ... Rubber Baron
Salvador Godínez ... Old Missionary
Dieter Milz ... Young Missionary
William Rose ... Notary (as Bill Rose)
Leoncio Bueno
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Isabel Jimines de Cisneros ... Opera Singer (uncredited)

Jean-Claude Dreyfus ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Jesús Goiri ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Veriano Luchetti ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Lourdes Magalhaes ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Christian Mantilla ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Costante Moret ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Dimiter Petkov ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Mietta Sighele ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Liborio Simonella ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Werner Herzog 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Werner Herzog  writer

Produced by
Werner Herzog .... producer
Renzo Rossellini .... associate producer
Walter Saxer .... executive producer
Willi Segler .... producer
Lucki Stipetic .... producer
 
Original Music by
Popol Vuh 
 
Cinematography by
Thomas Mauch 
 
Film Editing by
Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus 
 
Production Design by
Ulrich Bergfelder 
Henning von Gierke 
 
Costume Design by
Gisela Storch 
 
Makeup Department
Gloria Fava .... hair stylist
Gloria Fava .... makeup artist
Stefano Fava .... hair stylist
Stefano Fava .... makeup artist
Jaque Monteiro .... assistant makeup artist
Carlos Prieto .... assistant makeup artist
 
Production Management
Gustavo Cerff Abulu .... production manager: Peru (as Gustavo Cerff Arbulú)
George Sluizer .... production manager: Brazil
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Confalonieri .... assistant director: Brazil (as Frederico Confalonieri)
Jorge Vignati .... assistant director
 
Art Department
César Vivanco Luna .... construction: Camp Rio Camisea
Jaíme Mourõa Rios .... construction: Indin camp
Victor Trigoso .... construction: Camp Rio Camisea
 
Sound Department
Juarez Dagoberto Costa .... sound (as Juarez Dagoberto)
Zezé d'Alice .... sound (as Zezé D'Alice)
 
Special Effects by
Miguel Vázquez .... special effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Rainer Klausmann .... second camera
Beat Presser .... assistant camera
Beat Presser .... still photographer
Hans-Peter Vogt .... lighting technician
Raimund Wirner .... lighting technician
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Franz Blumauer .... assistant costume designer
Elisabeth Irmer .... assistant costume designer
Rosemary Kaye .... assistant costume designer
 
Editorial Department
Linda Kuusisto .... assistant editor
Carola Mai .... assistant editor
 
Transportation Department
Tercero Efraín Panaifo Indama .... tractorist
 
Other crew
Pedro Natorce Ahuanari .... boat crew
Dr. Tomás Parraga Aliaga .... medical staff
Walter Pinedo Alvarez .... boat crew
Claire André .... production secretary: Peru
Eglington Ayarza Boulloza .... technical advisor
Pedro Padilla Chota .... boat crew
Guardamino Benigno Paucar .... technical advisor
Victor Tello Pinedo .... medical staff
Nancy Rios .... production secretary: Peru
William Rose .... dialogue director (as William L. Rose)
Anja Schmidt-Zäringer .... script
Werner Schroeter .... opera director: stage scene
El Tigre Carlos Calvo Soria .... forest worker
René Baneo Vazquez .... boat crew
Rachel Griffiths .... script supervisor (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Les Blank .... special thanks
Miguel Camateiri Fernandez .... thanks
Nicolás Camateiri Fernandez .... thanks
Pascual Camateiri Fernandez .... thanks
Peter Matthiessen .... special thanks
Joseph D. Peckerman .... special thanks
David Pérez Espinosa .... thanks
Sam Shepard .... special thanks
José Koechlin von Stein .... special thanks: idea
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
158 min
Country:
Peru | West Germany
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1986) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 (bw) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Amazon Basin, Brazil more
Company:
Filmverlag der Autoren more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Werner Herzog wanted Mario Adorf as captain of the ship, but Adorf refused to do the takes that involved the ship drifting throughout the rapids. Eventually, six men besides Herzog himself volunteered to do it. Of the six, three were wounded; one had two broken ribs. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: During one of the boat drifting scenes, crew members can be seen at the top of the boat, including a man wearing jeans who tries to avoid being spotted by the camera. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) more
Soundtrack:
La Bohème more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad..., 27 January 2007
9/10
Author: Roger Burke (mayapan1942@yahoo.com) from Australia

This is a work of fiction, although the idea for the story and the name came from a real person who actually lived at Iquitos, Peru, and who was a rubber (not robber) baron in the eighteen-nineties.

Arguably, Klaus Kinski (as Fitzcarraldo) was born to play the main role – although Werner Herzog considered taking up the role himself. But, no one can play an eccentric the way Kinski did in this film. It's not Nosferatu (1979), but the wide, staring eyes are looking at you, all the time, in the same spooky way.

And, only an eccentric of the most magnificent kind would dare to take a 340-ton ship up the Amazon and carry it over a mountain down to another river! Isn't that just one of the craziest things you've ever heard of? Well, the truth is Herzog actually did do that and simply used Kinski as his surrogate to prance around the mud and clay, with the local Indians, and generally taking the praise for a job well done. There were no special effects – the production team actually pushed and pulled that hulk up a slope of hundreds of meters and then down to another river.

So, who was really crazy: Herzog or Fitzcarraldo?

Never mind that: just see this movie for the lush, primeval jungles of South America; for the rich tones of various opera singers, including Caruso (on a phonograph); for the stunning photography aboard the ill-fated Molly; for the antics of Kinski, as he thrashes around, pushing himself and others to the limits; for the army of local Indians, pulling the ship over the mountain; for the haunting sound-track provided by Popul Vuh, Herzog's perennial musical team of choice; and, of course, for the lovely Claudia Cardinale – past her prime but still remarkable...

I love this movie and I hope you do also. And, when you have seen it, then see Burden of Dreams (1982), the film that tells the story of the making of Fitzcarraldo. It's maybe better than the fiction...

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (66 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Ice Avalon123
Am I the only one... shoobe01-1
Superb Ending FemaleOrca
What's the advantage of getting the boat into the other river system? Stryke01
Subtitles messed up in R4 release Gorgasm
Epic, right? rshelomi
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes Burden of Dreams The Mission Mountains of the Moon Moonraker
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb Peru section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.