Cult Fiction: Fitzcarraldo

UPC: 013131579796

Studio: Sony Pictures / Starz

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations]

Summary: German filmmaker Werner Herzog has never done anything by halves. When Herzog tackled Fitzcarraldo, the story of an obsessed impresario (Klaus Kinski) whose foremost desire in life is to bring both Enrico Caruso and an opera house to the deepest jungles of South America, the director boldly embarked on the same journey, disdaining studios, process shots, and special effects throughout. The highlight of the story is Fizcarraldo's Herculean effort to haul a 300-plus ton steamship over the mountains. No trickery was used in filming this grueling sequence, and stories still persist of disgruntled South American film technicians awaiting the opportunity to strangle Herzog if he ever sets foot on their land again. In the end, Herzog proved to be as driven and single-purposed as his protagonist, and it is the audience's knowledge of this that adds to the excitement of Fitzcarraldo. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Adventure

Awards: Best Foreign Film – null Best Director – Cannes Film Festival Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Foreign Film – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Theatrical trailer
Talent bios
Still gallery
Audio commentary with director, Werner Herzog and producer, Lucki Stipetic

Cult Fiction: Fitzcarraldo

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 03/04/2008

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS2.0 Dolby Digital w/ 4 channels

Runtime: 157 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,German

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Fitzcarraldo
1. Program Start / Main Titles [5:37]
2. The Opera House [7:11]
3. Molly's Brothel [3:31]
4. A Promise to a Pig [5:46]
5. "I Want My Opera House!" [3:40]
6. The Dinner Party [5:25]
7. The Pongo Das Mortes [6:31]
8. Fitz and Molly Buy a Ship [10:12]
9. Fitz and Molly's Farewell [7:47]
10. Failed Trans-Andean Express [3:39]
11. The Pachitea [4:31]
12. Saramiriza Missionary Station [4:49]
13. Caruso in the Jungle [15:38]
14. Fitz Meets the Native Indians [9:14]
15. The Summit [3:39]
16. The Work Begins [17:15]
17. Fatal First Attempt [6:29]
18. Second Attempt [10:25]
19. Ship Reaches the Summit [4:40]
20. A Victory Celebration [2:46]
21. Navigating the Rapids [8:25]
22. Don Aquilino's Settlement [3:55]
23. Opera Comes to Iquitos [5:47]

Dan Jardine

Werner Herzog's most ambitious film divides audiences between those who laud its astonishing portrait of obsession and its insightful commentary on the absurdity of ambition and those who complain that it is a sterile, loud, boring journey to nowhere. There is, however, no denying the visual and technical magnificence of Herzog's achievement, as the jungle scenes have a palpable sense of authenticity, and those poor natives really DID haul that boat over a mountain. Lacking scenes of narrative introspection, the film leaves the audience to figure out the complex and paradoxical title character, who appears to be equal parts madman and genius. Klaus Kinski is at his eccentric best in the role: it is not hard to believe that this man would drive a crew to mutiny. His unwillingness to let go of his dream, regardless of the price, alienates many viewers, making it increasingly difficult to find an emotional connection to this already cool and labyrinthine film. However, the sound of operatic arias floating across the Amazon, a metaphor for artistic transcendence, confirms that dreamers and their obsessions can give us otherwise unimaginable moments of pure beauty. Les Blank's Burden of Dreams, which documents the making of Fitzcarraldo, suggests that there may be equal amounts of hubris and genius in Herzog himself, and that he is in no small part the model for Fitzcarraldo. ~ Dan Jardine, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Rui Polonah  Actor 
David Perez Espinosa  Actor 
Grande Otelo  Actor 
Milton Nascimento  Actor 
Jean-Claude Dreyfus  Actor 
Dimiter Petkov  Actor 
Werner Herzog  Director 
Werner Herzog  Producer 
Werner Herzog  Screenwriter 
Lucki Stipetic  Producer 
Popol Vuh  Composer (Music Score) 
Walter Saxer  Executive Producer 
Klaus Kinski  Actor 
Jose Lewgoy  Actor 
Miguel Angel Fuentes  Actor 
Paul Hittscher  Actor 
Claudia Cardinale  Actor 
Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez  Actor 
Peter Berling  Actor 
Salvador Godinez  Actor 
Bill Rose  Actor 
Leoncio Bueno  Actor 

Country: West Germany