Fitzcarraldo (1982)

The story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of a jungle.

Director:

Werner Herzog

Writer:

Werner Herzog

Stars:

Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, José Lewgoy

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
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	...	Black Man At Opera House
Ruy Polanah	...	Rubber Baron
Salvador Godínez	...	Old Missionary
Dieter Milz	...	Young Missionary
William Rose	...	Notary (as Bill Rose)
Leoncio Bueno

Storyline

Fitzcarraldo is an obsessed opera lover who wants to build an opera in the jungle. To accomplish this he first has to make a fortune in the rubber business, and his cunning plan involves hauling an enormous river boat across a small mountain with aid from the local Indians.

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Plot Keywords:

based on true story | rainforest | opera | jungle | new german cinema | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the crew was preparing a scene, Klaus Kinski clashed with production manager Walter Saxer over the on-location catering and other minor things. Footage of that incident was featured in the documentary My Best Fiend (1999). Werner Herzog commented that he didn't intervene, because Kinski's tantrum was rather mild compared to what the actor was usually known for.

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Goofs

When the Molly Aida is to be re-floated on the Ucayali river, coming from the west, the river visibly flows from left to right. It should be flowing to the north, which would be from right to left.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': Come on, we are late!
Molly: As long as we're doing it, let's do it in style. A few in minutes more.
Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': We're going to miss Caruso!

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Connections

Referenced in Anaconda (1997)

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Soundtracks

Opera in Manaos
from "Ernani" by Giuseppe Verdi
Production: Werner Schroeter
Ernani: Veriano Luchetti (voice)
Costante Moret (actor)
Silva: Dimiter Petkov (voice and actor)
Elvira: Mietta Sighele (voice)
Singer at orchestra: Lourdes Magalhaes
Sarah Bernhardt: Jean-Claude Dreyfus (as Jean-Claude Dreyfuss)
Stage design: Gianni Ratto
Orchestra of the Filarmonica Veneta
Conducted by Giorgio Croci

User Reviews

Beautiful Obsessions...

Full of bravura and inspiring sequences the bizarre epic "Fitzcarraldo" won Werner Herzog the best director award at Cannes Festival in 1982. This is the film that keeps reminding us the words of Oscar Wilde, "We are all in the gutter but some of us look at the stars". Even fewer try to reach the stars and Werner Herzog and his longtime collaborator and frequent adversary Klaus Kinski were certainly the men who have reached them. Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (or Fitzcaralado – the local Indians' name for Fitzgerald) was a visionary, a man with a beautiful obsession who dreamed of a building an opera house in the Peruvian rain forests and bringing the great singer Enrico Caruso there. Fitzcaralado's plan involved dragging a huge steamship over a small mountain to avoid traveling upstream through rapids. This plan was duplicated by Herzog during the production and involved the real Indians actually hauling the boat over the mountain. The image of the boat floating in the clouds and the small figure of Fitzcarraldo dressed in the white suit looking with his crazy wild eyes at the boat is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking visions at the screen ever. This film is not as perfect as Herzog's and Kinski's previous project, the stunning "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" but it is a magnificent and fascinating tale that could only be told by its matchless team of creators.

Details

Country:

West Germany Peru

Language:

English German Spanish Quechua Italian

Release Date:

10 October 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fickaraldas

Filming Locations:

Brazil

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,874

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, Pro-ject Filmproduktion, Filmverlag der Autoren

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1