One of Werner Herzog’s most acclaimed and audacious films, ‘Fitzcarraldo’ tells the incredible story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (played by Herzog regular Klaus Kinski), an opera-loving fortune hunter who dreams of bringing opera (specifically Caruso) to a remote trading post on the heart of the Peruvian jungle. With the help of the beautiful madam Molly (Claudia Cardinale), his loyal crew, and an indigenous tribe, ‘Fitzcarraldo’ journeys up the rivers of the Amazon hauling his steamship, the Molly Aida, over a mountain in order to access the riches of hitherto unexploited rubber territory. Evocative of the troubled circumstance of its own production, ‘Fitzcarraldo’ is both a confessional self-portrait of Herzog the adventuring artist and a grandiose paean to those who dare to live out their wildest dreams.
★★★★ “Arguably the greatest achievement from the hugely volatile Herzog/Kinski partnership.” - Empire
