Fitzcarraldo

*Year: 1982
*Director: Werner Herzog
*Cast: Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, Jose Lewgoy, Paul Hittscher, Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez


Brian Sweeney "Fitzcarraldo" Fitzgerald, a European entrepreneur in early 20th century Peru, is known to the sucessesful business men of the town as a bit of a failure who's constant schemes to revolutionize Peru often end in bankruptcy. Through his obsessive love of opera, he concots an idea to build an opera house in the middle of the Amazon jungle. With a steamship financed by his madame girlfirend, he travels against the Amazon river to the unowned plot of land where he will build his opera house. But the journey proves much more of an undertaking than many ever dreamed.


The Herzog-Kinski films are often called the most fruitful of all film collaborations. They were also known for their uneasy friendship that was put to the test on many films. These arguments were often peppered with death threats and on one occasion, a native tribe offered to kill Kinski for Herzog who declined. This film was probably the most difficult film they ever did together which is saying something as herzog was known for maintaining realism in his films whatever the cost. And maintaining such realism in the Amazon is not an easy task. The struggles of the characters on film were the same struggles faced by the film makers. In Fitzcarraldo, the main character and his crew (along with a native tribe) must haul a 300 ton steamship over a mile long isthmus at a 40 degree uphill angle. Herzog refused to take the film-making out and decided to actually pull it uphill with nothing but the enginuity of the crew and strength of the natives.


It's justifiable to question whether the ends justified the extreme hardships faced by so many people on the film. Along with the daunting task of hauling the steaship, the production was plauged by extremely unhelpful weather (when rains were needed, it just so happened that the longest dry spell in Peruvain history had to happen at the same time), intense tribal conflicts and distrust of the Anglo film crew. But thankfully the film is quite good. Perssonally, I hesitate to declare it the masterpiece so many do but it's definitley a very good film.


The first 40-50 minutes of the 2 1/2 hour film are rather slow and uninteresting. It doesn't really feel likes it's going anywhere. But once our hero's journey starts, so does the film. Herzog always shines when he's in his confort zone. And his comfort zone seems to be nature. The captivating Amazon serves as an interesting and well filmed background to the unique struggles of the characters. and they are unique. At one point, his entire crew deserts him. Vanishing out into the jungle. And the no nonsense of the last 2 hours of the film really help. It's also a technically interesting film. It's definitley a curious thing seeing the steamship pulled across the isthmus.


The film is also noteworthy for being one of Kinski's most harmless and innocent characters. Ofcourse a harmless and innocent Kinski is still an extremely eccentric and obsessive man comparatively. And as usual, his performance is magnificent.


For anyone who's interested in real cinema, the Kinski-Herzog films are a must. Especially Fitzcarraldo which is a flawed but very interesting and in the end, rewarding film.

Apocalypse Now

*Year: 1979

*Director: Francis Ford Coppola

*(PON)Cinematographer: Vittorio Storaro

*Cast: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Albert Hall, Frederic Forrest, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne

Famed film adaptation of the Novella, Heart of Darkness. Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard. A soldier sent into Cambodia to assassinate a rogue Colonel (Brando) who it seems has lost his mind and is commanding tribal forces in brutal attacks on the NVC/VC. The closer he gets to arriving at the Colonel's compound, the more his obsession with the man grows.

This film is probably the epitime of physcological darkness in film. Throughout it's 3 hour + runtime, it examines the darkside of humanity and the mind. And the messages it sends about warfare and such seem very true. The insane Colonel Kurtz has witnessed war and through it has deduced that to defeat the enemy (in this case, the Vietnamese) the US must adopt the barbaric Guerilla tactics used by such an enemy. It's a rather surreal film by the end and very potent. It may affect people differently. But as for myself, it was very powerful. not necessarily in it's messages or importance, but in it's sheer darkness.

Some say the film suceeds as a war film but not much else. I would say that it fails as a war film and suceeds at being great Cinema regardless. I never really watched the film as a war film. Ofcourse it is one but it isn't really about combat. The film has a great storyline and is very well made. Another criticism of the film is that the ending is a big let down. Once Willard has met Kurtz, the rest of the film seems much like a lecture in philosophy, civilization, warfare, and humanity. I actually liked this aspect myself. But I see where people may be annoyed by it as the previous 2 hours moved rather quickly, once Marlon brando comes into the pciture, the film sort of comes to a hault and the suspense of meeting this mysterious man wears off.

Another plus is Vittorio Storaro's gorgeous cinematography. I'd say Storaro is Cinema's best cinematographer. His traditional use of vibrant colors is even more vibrant here. It's a beautiful looking film filmed in deep oranges which are the result of accentuated Asian sun and tribal camp fires and torches.

Apocalypse Now is one of the favorite films. Easily in my top 5. A well made and sucessfully adapted story. A film you don't need me to recommend, as it is any cinephiles duty to see a film like this.