Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Burden of Dreams

Burden of Dreams (Criterion #287).
1982 Flower Films & Janus Films.
Starring: Werner Herzog, Claudia Cardinale, Klaus Kinski, Mick Jagger, Jason Robards
Narration: Michael Goodwin (writer), Candace Laughlin (spoken)
Directors: Les Blank with Maureen Gosling
Buy Burden of Dreams at Amazon.

Les Blank, with some help from Maureen Gosling, directed this documentary examining German filmmaker Werner Herzog and his nearly-five year struggle to film Fitzcarraldo in the South American jungle. Fitzcarraldo is the story of Brian "Fitzcarraldo" Sweeny Fitzgerald, a European living in Peru who loves opera music enough that he decides to build a music hall in the middle of the Peruvian rain forest, simply so Enrico Caruso can christen it with a performance. Fitzgerald breaks into the rubber industry, Peru's most profitable industry at the turn of the 20th century, to realize this vision.

From the very start, the production seems cursed, as original star Jason Robards becomes ill, and returns to America, where his doctor orders him to stay. His co-star, Mick Jagger, has to drop out of the film to honor commitments with the Rolling Stones (recording Tattoo You, and touring to support that record). Herzog replaces Robards with his frequent collaborator Klaus Kinski, and deletes Jagger's role from the script. The film's production also is hindered by unpredictable weather, and dealing with hostile local tribes, not to mention hostilities between Peru and Ecuador military units. Kinski was also difficult to deal with during the shoot, and he clashed with Herzog and other crew members many times, upsetting the local extras enough that a native tribe leader offered to murder the actor. Herzog turned down the offer...because he needed Kinski to finish filming.

Herzog wanted his movie to be as realistic as possible, which meant that instead of using models or other special effects, he hired hundreds of local residents to help move a 320 ton steamship over a hill (the real life Fitzgerald simply dismantled his boat before transporting it). The director believed that no one had ever performed a similar feat in history, and likely would never try it again, so he called himself "Conquistador of the Useless". Regardless, despite all of the hardships and setbacks, Herzog never gave up, and Fitzcarraldo was released to theaters in 1982, garnering great critical success.

As for Burden of Dreams, it is a very interesting documentary depicting the efforts of a nearly impossible and at times ridiculous film production that would've broken the wills of many directors, actors, or other film crew members. Highly recommended.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.
1932 Warner Bros. Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, Noel Francis
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Controversal Classics box set.

Based on the autobiography written by World War I veteran and Georgia chain gang member Robert Elliott Burns (while he was still on the run in New Jersey), I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang, this film not only contributed to significant changes in the United States penal system when it came to prison chain gangs, it also was a big enough hit at the box office to save Warner Bros. from financial ruin. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was banned in the state of Georgia, where Burns served his stint, even if the movie took place in an unnamed state.

Also, before this picture was made, it was almost unheard of for any studio or filmmaker to tackle serious social issues.

Sergeant James Allen (Muni) returns from World War I planning to find work in construction, but soon finds himself having a hard time finding work, or at least a job that he's completely happy with. Allen is so broke at one point that he pawns his war medals. One night, he is accidentally caught up in a robbery, and finds himself sentenced to ten years in a chain gang.

After several months, Allen makes his escape, and winds up in Chicago. In the Windy City, he finds great success in the construction business, and Allen marries the proprietor of his boarding house, Marie Woods (Farrell). Marie discovers Jim's secret, and blackmails him into entering an unhappy marriage. Later on, Allen meets and falls in love with Helen (Vinson). When Jim asks his wife for a divorce, Marie betrays him to the authorities. Allen is offered a pardon if he turns himself in; he does so, only to find that it was a ruse, prompting him to escape back to Chicago.

Allen finds Helen at her home, and tells her that he is going back on the run. When asked questions about where he's going, and if he needs any money, Jim tells her "I steal" before disappearing back into the darkness. The lighting during the final scene was a happy accident (the lights either failed, or were turned off too soon), and it was kept in the final print.

Highly, highly recommended pre-Code film.