How the hell did they do this? It seems like an impossible task in real life, let alone for the sake of a film. The sheer will of man is on display here and I was enthralled with it not only for the story but for the true mastery it took to accomplish what is on screen. The film doesn’t really find its legs until after the crew abandons Fitz and the boat (the beginning feels like it goes on forever), which can attribute to it’s two and half hour run time. Aside from the moving of the boat there are a lot of beautiful scenes from the moment Fitz plays the phonograph on the boat to the unseen natives to the moment they learn what ice is for the first time. I also love the moment where the chef keeps placing his glass on the table, but the boat is on an angle so it keeps sliding back. This was also educational for me in terms of how rubber is made and where latex comes from. Had no idea it looked like that nor that it came from a tree. Klaus Kinski has such a unique look to him and comes across like a mad scientist in a cartoon. That fits this character so perfectly since only a crazy person could come up with this original and brilliant, albeit crazy, plan. I haven’t seen many of Werner Herzog’s narrative films — I know him more from his unique personality, acting roles, and documentaries. I’m excited to dig deeper into him.
