Burden of Dreams (1982)

Location: Home
Seen Before: No
Rating: 5.0

Maybe it is a better idea to see the film this documentary is about first before seeing the doc, but I just couldn't help myself. Crazy Herzog; the jungle; five-year production; 320-ton boat being pulled over a mountain--it all sounded too good to push aside to watch Fitzcarraldo beforehand.

And this documentary is that good. The film is so engrossing that instances of natives shooting arrows at each other and the giant, once-beautiful ship bouncing off of the rivers' shores literally make you jump in your seat. Herzog's journey to bring his beloved story to the screen is so remarkable that you can't help but keep thinking, "Is this guy serious?" Herzog himself becomes Fitzcarraldo--steadfast; unpredictable; passionate. Maybe documentarian Les Blank could delve a bit deeper in spots, but it practically doesn't matter when what he's filmming is truely stranger than fiction.