"Burden of Dreams" is far more than an average making of documentary. Instead, it is a work of brilliance; a memorable gem of cinema that just happens to be about the making of Werner Herzog's epic adventure drama "Fitzcarraldo".
The making of "Fitzcarraldo" was extremely difficult for a number of reasons: the seemingly biggest challenge being the moving of a steamship over a mountain. As "Burden of Dreams" goes on, we are faced with difficulty after difficulty and , in the end, it seems shocking that "Fitzcarraldo" was ever even completed! It didn't only challenge the cast and crew mentally, but also physically, and everybody behind the scenes deserves great recognition for being able to pull off such a task.
The interview with Werner Herzog are definite highlights. Towards the ending, there is one great interview with him in particular that has become the most well known scene in the documentary. "The birds don't sing," says Herzog "they screech in pain."
The documentary isn't only a dark real life drama, but also a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the native Indians that helped with the production. There are a few scenes that don't focus on the production of "Fitzcarraldo" at all, and instead thay document the lives of the natives. These scenes are almost equally good, and further prove that director Les Blank is not trying to make an everyday DVD extra, but, instead, an entertaining, excellent documentary film.
The making of "Fitzcarraldo" was extremely difficult for a number of reasons: the seemingly biggest challenge being the moving of a steamship over a mountain. As "Burden of Dreams" goes on, we are faced with difficulty after difficulty and , in the end, it seems shocking that "Fitzcarraldo" was ever even completed! It didn't only challenge the cast and crew mentally, but also physically, and everybody behind the scenes deserves great recognition for being able to pull off such a task.
The interview with Werner Herzog are definite highlights. Towards the ending, there is one great interview with him in particular that has become the most well known scene in the documentary. "The birds don't sing," says Herzog "they screech in pain."
The documentary isn't only a dark real life drama, but also a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the native Indians that helped with the production. There are a few scenes that don't focus on the production of "Fitzcarraldo" at all, and instead thay document the lives of the natives. These scenes are almost equally good, and further prove that director Les Blank is not trying to make an everyday DVD extra, but, instead, an entertaining, excellent documentary film.