One thing that always struck me about legendary German director Werner Herzog is his open mindedness. With a curiosity of the world around him that has been the driving force behind his work, he seems to be forever searching for the truth, whatever it might be. His work is infused with pronouncements of a world view that is simultaneously gloomy and uplifting. But as much as I've followed his dramatic films, documentaries, appearances, interviews and other musings over the years, I feel like I hardly know the man. With the recent release of the book Conquest of the Useless, perhaps that is about to change.
The infamous jungle adventure that brought us Fitzcarraldo was just as remarkably chronicled in the amazing documentary Burden of Dreams. The nightmare of a shoot saw Herzog battle the elements, indigenous tribes, a gargantuan steamboat and the certifiable Klaus Kinski. Watching Burden of Dreams is a riveting experience for anyone who loves the movies and the pursuit of a singular vision that is the hallmark of our most gifted filmmakers. Towards the end of the doc, he delivers a sardonic, bleak monologue about the travails of making movies the way he does that leads one to believe that he will never set foot on a set again. Thankfully for all of us, he does continue what has been a remarkable career.
Herzog's contemporaneous account of the experience of making Fitzcarraldo may give me some more insight into this complex character or I may end up feeling that I've only managed to embellish the conclusions I have already drawn. His work has taught me more about myself than it has about him.
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