Review of Burden of Dreams (1982) by Wayne K — 17 Jan 2018

An entertaining, if not very affecting portrayal of the making of a difficult movie, Burden Of Dreams doesn't come close to the depth and intensity of Hearts Of Darkness. Werner Herzog, an acclaimed director and screenwriter, isn't pushed anywhere close to the edge of madness, being mostly irked about the increasingly difficult situation, and we get only 1 instance of Klaus Kinski raising his voice, never losing his famously volatile temper.

It's not that I wanted any of this, I just expected it. Herzog never once appears noticeably angry, acting professional and courteous for the most part. It's interesting to see some of the filmmaking process, and how the cast and crew managed to avoid some tricky situations, including having to relocate the entire camp to escape increasingly hostile local tribes.

Some of the best parts are just us watching the extras or main cast trying to do their stuff while various factors prevent them from doing so, but it never achieves anything on a visceral level. It's mildly diverting at best, and offers us a few glimpses into Herzog's mind, but not a whole lot more.