History Film / Fitzcarraldo

* ManInWhite: Fitzcarraldo, [[LimitedWardrope all the way]].

* TenMinuteRetirement: The Indians abandon the project after one of their men gets killed, but decide to return the next day to finish what they have started.

* GodGuise: Subverted. In order to get the manpower to drag the boat up the mountain, Fitzcarraldo and his crew try convincing a bunch of natives who conveniently have a legend about a divine power with a white vessel that Fitzcarraldo is a God. The natives inform them that they weren't born yesterday, but decide to help out anyway in exchange for ice.
* ItsQuietTooQuiet

* ManInWhite: Fitzcarraldo.

* SpiritualSuccessor - to ''Film/AguirreTheWrathOfGod'', except on the other end of the above mentioned scale.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Klaus Kinski doesn't hold a candle to Claudia Cardinale.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The real Fitzgerald very sensibly disassembled the boat into several pieces before attempting to pull it up the slope.

* ExpositionDiagram: Fitzcarraldo draws up a map to explain his big plan for the captain.

!!Provides Examples Of:

* RiverOfInsanity: Even more off-camera.
--> '''Werner Herzog''': Kinski always says [nature] is full of erotic elements. I don’t see it so much as erotic. I see it more as full of obscenity.... Nature here is violent, base. I wouldn’t see anything erotical here. I would see fornication, and asphyxiation, and choking, and fighting for survival,... just rotting away. Of course there is lots of misery but it is to say misery that is all around us. The trees here are in misery, the birds here are in misery. I don't think they sing, they just ''screech in pain''.

* MadArtist: Kinski. He was so enraged during the production that the natives offered to ''kill him'' for Herzog. '''And Herzog actually considered it'''.
** Some years later, Herzog made a documentary recounting his adventures with Kinski during the making of this movie entitled ''[[IncrediblyLamePun My Best Fiend]]''.

* CoolBoat: The ''Molly Aida''.

* {{Biopic}}

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory

The movie is famous for its TroubledProduction, lasting more than four years, where Herzog really dragged a 320-ton boat over the land (with an inclination of 40 degrees) using methods even more difficult than the ones used by the real man. Also, the raving personality of KlausKinski got loose because of the isolation and the technical difficulties. It was so epic that a documentary of the making of the film was made, ''Burden of Dreams''.

'''''Fitzcarraldo''''' is a 1982 film written and directed by Creator/WernerHerzog. It’s based on the life of real rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.

* EnforcedMethodActing: The rapids the boat was sailing on with Kinski on it? All real.

* MenAreUncultured: Averted. Fitzcarraldo is a big fan of operas and even knows the names of composers, each one of their works, and background information about them.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally Fitzcarraldo was played by Jason Robards and had [[Music/TheRollingStones Mick Jagger]] as an assistant. After they pulled out (Robards got very sick and his doctor forbade him to return, and Jagger couldn't stay with the film throughout its numerous delays while also keeping his commitments with the Stones), Herzog considered using JackNicholson and even himself in the titular role.

* TroubledProduction: To put it briefly, Herzog felt that the best way to invoke the madness involved in moving a multi-ton steamship across miles of dense jungle was to [[ShapedLikeItself actually move a multi-ton steamship across miles of dense jungle]], using methods that were actually more difficult and less efficient than those used in the actual event. To say this was a stressful experience would be an understatement.

** Herzog also qualifies, because in spite of all the trials and tribulations of the film, he never stopped working on it.
* DoingItForTheArt: There is no other reason for Herzog to pull this dangerous and crazy stunt.

* TroubledProduction: Oh yeah.

* MenAreUncultured: Averted. Fitzcarraldo is a big fan of operas and even knows the names of composers.

* EnforcedMethodActing: The rapids the boat was saling on with Kinski on it? All real.

* UglyGuyHotWife: Klaus Kinki doesn't hold a candle to Claudia Cardinale.

!!Tropes in this film:

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally Fitzcarraldo was played by Jason Robards and had [[TheRollingStones Mick Jagger]] as an assistant. After they pulled out (Robards got very sick and his doctor forbade him to return, and Jagger couldn't stay with the film throughout its numerous delays while also keeping his commitments with the Stones), Herzog considered using JackNicholson and even himself in the titular role.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally Fitzcarraldo was played by Jason Robards and had [[TheRollingStones Mick Jagger]] as an assistant. After they pulled out, Herzog considered using JackNicholson and even himself in the titular role.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The plan to move the boat is a success, but the Indians betray him and Fitzcarraldo is lucky to keep his life and the boat after the rapids]]. He seems happy at the end, though.
** What? How can this possibly be a DownerEnding? [[spoiler:Fitzcarraldo SUCCEEDED in his original objective, to bring opera to Iquitos, when he found out that the opera company was available and needed transport. See above under WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome.]]
*** Seconded. Fitcarraldo is an eternal optimist who isn't going to let one ''more'' failure get him down. The day after the movie ends he'll be back with some new ambitious scheme.

* [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?]]: Fitzcarraldo puts a whole opera troupe on his boat to enjoy a personal rendition.

** What? How can this possibly be a DownerEnding? [[spoiler:Fitzcarraldo SUCCEEDED in his original objective, to bring opera to Iquitos, when he found out that the opera company was available and needed transport. See above under CrowningMomentOfAwesome.]]

'''Fitzcarraldo''' is a 1982 film of Creator/WernerHerzog. It’s based on the rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.

The movie is famous for his TroubledProduction, lasting more than four years, where Herzog really dragged a 320-ton boat over the land (with an inclination of 40 degrees) using methods even more difficult than the ones used by the real man. Also, the raving personality of KlausKinski got loose because of the isolation and the technical difficulties. It was so epic that a documentary of the making of the film was made, ''Burden of Dreams''.

'''Fitzcarraldo''' is a 1982 film of WernerHerzog. It’s based on the rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.

'''Fitzcarraldo''' is a 1982 film of WernerHerzog. It’s based on the rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.

* {{Determinator}}: Fitzcarraldo. He won’t stop to reach his goal of building an opera house in Iquitos, even though he already failed with a previous enterprise (a trans-Andean railway) and he definitely won’t stop his journey just because the river he wants to reach is several hundreds of miles apart from where his boat is.

* NoOSHACompliance: The natives work with the pulleys in horrible conditions. They seriously ran the risk of losing their lives if something went wrong. In-universe, a couple of them die.

--> '''Werner Herzog''': Kinski always says [nature] is full of erotic elements. I don’t see it so much as erotic. I see it more as full of obscenity.... Nature here is violent, base. I wouldn’t see anything erotical here. I would see fornication, and asphyxiation, and choking, and fighting for survival,... just rotting away. Of course there is lots of misery but it is to say misery that is all around us. The trees here are in misery, the birds here are in misery. I don't think they sing, they just ''screech in pain''.

'''Fitzcarraldo''' is a 1982 film of WernerHerzog. It’s based on the rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, known as Fitzcarraldo, wants to build an opera house in Iquitos, Peru. To gather the money he decides to become a rubber magnate and leases a parcel from the government. The problem is that the river leading to his terrain is full of deadly rapids. However, he sees in a map there is another river that runs very close to it, but at the other side of the rapids. Determined to reach his goal no matter what, Fitzcarraldo decides to take advantage of the closeness of the river to make his boat cross from one river to the other. BetterThanItSounds.

* BetterThanItSoundsFilm

* {{Determinator}}: Fitzcarraldo. He won’t stop to reach his goal of building an opera house in Iquitos, even though he already failed with a previous enterprise (a trans-Andean railway) and he definitely won’t stop his journey just because the river he wants to reach is several hundreds of miles apart from where his boat is.

--> '''Werner Herzog''': Kinski always says [nature] is full of erotic elements. I don’t see it so much as erotic. I see it more as full of obscenity.... Nature here is violent, base. I wouldn’t see anything erotical here. I would see fornication, and asphyxiation, and choking, and fighting for survival,... just rotting away. Of course there is lots of misery but it is to say misery that is all around us. The trees here are in misery, the birds here are in misery. I don't think they sing, they just ''screech in pain''.

* CrazyAwesome: Dragging a boat of more than 300 tons over a hill using only ropes, pulleys and the force of the boat's engine. What else can you expect from WernerHerzog?
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: When the pulleys’ plan starts to work.
** Also when Fitzcarraldo tells off the local magnates who are, to say the least, skeptical of his plan: "I will outmillion you. I will OUTBILLION you!" and then stalks out, followed by his mistress (madam of the local bordello) and all her girls, noses haughtily held high in the air.
** And most definitely the last few minutes of the movies, when [[spoiler:after Fitzcarraldo's plan has gone down in spectacular flames, he's sitting disconsolate on the dock when he hears that the opera company he's been trying to attract to Iquitos is looking for a gig. Cue truly splendid endpiece, with said opera company floating down the Amazon into town on rafts, Fitzcarraldo in the lead with a cigar jauntily jutting out of his mouth. Also qualifies as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.]]
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Just before the scene described above under CrowningMomentOfAwesome, Kinski delivers a truly classic "what the FUCK?!" look when one of the local magnates burns several high-denomination banknotes to show that he, literally, has money to burn.