Review of Burden of Dreams (1982) by Tristan G — 07 Sep 2009

Besides sounding like the name of a book you would find in an airport gift shop before having an awkward reunion with a flight attendant you once knew (what, I cannot be the only one who thinks that title fits this scenario), this film chronicles the maddening (quite literally, at times) adventures Herzog, Kinski and company went through in the filming of "Fitzcarraldo.

" And much like that film, there are moments of brilliance here peppered in with moments of head-scratching. As an example: the pivotal ship-pulling scene (only this time complete with bulldozer!) vs.

watching dozens of natives row their boats back into position... again... and again... Then there is the footage of Mick Jagger(!) in the title role and the curious absence of Kinski's trademark freak-outs (to be fair, there is one scene that was cut but really now.

.. its inclusion would have definitely been a welcome interruption to the plodding narration - which, bless her heart, but the narrator threatened to put me asleep a few times). And while "Fitzcarraldo" is not strictly required viewing before seeing this (there is a modest amount of dedication spent on bringing the audience up to speed with the material), it definitely makes for a more entertaining romp than this somewhat uneven documentary it inspired.