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Conquest of the Useless
Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo
2004
First Published
4.04
Average Rating
324
Number of Pages
Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) is one of the most revered and enigmatic filmmakers of our time, and Fitzcarraldo is one of his most honored and admired films. More than just Herzog’s journal of the making of the monumental, problematical motion picture, which involved, among other things, major cast changes and reshoots, and the hauling (without the use of special effects) of a 360-ton steamship over a mountain, Conquest of the Useless is a work of art unto itself, an Amazonian fever dream that emerged from the delirium of the jungle. With fascinating observations about crew and cast - including Herzog’s lead, the somewhat demented internationally renowned star Klaus Kinski - and breathtaking insights into the filmmaking process that are uniquely Werner Herzog, Conquest of the Useless is an eye-opening look into the mind of a cinematic master.
Avg Rating
4.04
Number of Ratings
3,148
5 STARS
39%
4 STARS
37%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
3%
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Author

Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Author · 7 books

Werner Herzog (born Werner Stipetić) is a German film director, screenwriter, actor, and opera director. He is often associated with the German New Wave movement (also called New German Cinema), along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Wim Wenders and others. His films often feature heroes with impossible dreams, or people with unique talents in obscure fields.

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