Werner Herzog has a reputation for putting out some of the best documentaries many people have ever watched, particularly when it comes to nature. I've already seen his 2005 film which centers on notorious bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, who died horribly in the Alaskan wilderness since he never knew when to stop his obsession. This film is much different in certain ways, as it doesn't have a creepy atmosphere surrounding the entire experience. Grizzly Man, while not meant to be a horror show, definitely made me feel unnerved as what ended up happening to the subject is pretty disturbing. Burden of Dreams has a more lighthearted tone, even though Herzog is out in the middle of nowhere again. The documentary is difficult to put into words as there is no actual plot. It simply focuses on Werner's attempts to film a movie of his (Fitzcarraldo) in the jungles of Peru. It stars Klaus Kinski, who has collaborated with Herzog a few other times by this point. Along the way, Herzog and the people with him encounter Natives who don't want him anywhere near their settlements. Although only mentioned early in the film, they try attacking the movie crew and they're forced to find another spot. Later, we learn about the customs of the natives and how alarmingly fast large swaths of the Amazon Rainforest are being destroyed. Initial opposition from natives isn't the only thing keeping Herzog from finishing his movie. Arguably the biggest obstacle to his progress is the environment. Because of the damp air, clothes never seem to dry completely, and a bulldozer used for clearing space is constantly getting bogged down in mud. Fuel for the vehicle needs to be flown in and then put on a canoe, covering agonizing distances. The entire situation is a logistical nightmare. The crew's greatest test comes when a 300 ton ship is to be hoisted up a 40 degree slope. By now, the natives are providing assistance and clearing the way for the incredible feat, but the laws of physics don't want Herzog to succeed. He eventually enlists the help of an engineer to pull the huge vessel over the mountain with a complex array of pulleys, but a metal coupling snaps and the ship slides back down to its starting point. The engineer quits, and Herzog faces a new problem when a different ship used for filming gets stuck on a sandbank as it tries to get back to camp. Herzog can't finish his movie without the ship, so he has to wait until it rains hard enough for the river to flood, but this doesn't end up happening. Eventually in 1981, the last shot of Fitzcarraldo is completed and the ship is hoisted up the mountain. Still having a sense of humor after all the hell he has just been through, Herzog says he is done with making movies and will check himself into an asylum. Criterion Collection is known for putting out quality films which can only be fully appreciated by those who understand how difficult film making really is, and Burden of Dreams shows this perfectly. Herzog is out of his element here and in a foreign country, but he remains steadfast. Even if he wasn't in this, I think managing to pull such a huge vehicle up a dirt slope is enough of an accomplishment to warrant a documentary. When Herzog and Claudia Cardinale are involved as well, that's just the icing on the cake. I was just hoping the latter would get more than the 1 minute of screen time they gave her. As a whole though, Burden of Dreams is a scenic look into a hard venture of Herzog's, one that he would emerge victorious from. Even the landscapes make you feel like you're in a dream.
Review of Burden of Dreams
