Werner Herzog in "Burden of Dreams" Core
mustache and elaborate existential monologues not required
My boyfriend and I moved into our new apartment a couple months ago and didn’t think to get our wifi situation sorted out beforehand. Both of us are chronic auditory consumers- we listen to podcasts in the shower, making breakfast, walking to the market a block away. I need something on in the background almost constantly- the idea of being alone with my thoughts for more than a few minutes at a time gives me chills. I’m mentally ill! So what!!!
Anyways, we realized we had an entire night ahead of us sans steaming services. I broke out in a cold sweat. Carlos grew pale. But then I remembered: our friend Diane left us with a box of her Criterions awhile back! I feverishly dug through the DVDs in search of something to fill the void. Carlos and I were exhausted from a full day of moving and unpacking. Barring one tense moment getting our mattress upstairs,(thanks to the Uber Eats driver for spotting a potential tragedy and hauling it up for me) everything had gone smoothly. But we weren’t exactly in the mood for something challenging.
So of course, everything in that box was challenging. Not that they aren’t Vitally Important Works of Art: there’s your Fellini of course, and lots of Rohmer. A David Lynch box set I keep meaning to work my way through. So much Bergman. Weirdly the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland I keep meaning to ask her about. But I didn’t want to have to work that night. I didn’t want to appreciate any artistry or contemplate the intrinsic value of the Auteur Filmmaker. I either wanted to see bad guys get killed or hot people kiss.
Which is why we settled on…. a documentary following Werner Herzog???
I don’t know. It was Carlos’s idea. But Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams had been on our list for awhile. For those unfamiliar, Burden of Dreams sheds light on the cursed production of Herzog’s infamous Fitzcarraldo, a film (based on a true story) centered around opera-lover Fitzcarraldo (Klaus Kinski) and his obsessive dream to open an opera house in the secluded Peruvian Amazon. The central conflict stems from Fitzcarraldo hauling his large river boat up a mountain with the aid of the indigenous community-by whatever means necessary.
It’s no secret that the jungle is not a place for the faint of heart (or a film crew, for that matter). Friedkin’s Sorcerer, Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, John Frankenheimer’s The Island of Dr. Moreau. Even McTiernan’s Predator was plagued by tropical challenges. Fitzcarraldo was no exception. A cautionary tale warning against man’s attempt at besting nature, Herzog found himself in the exact same predicament as his “protagonist”: obsessively pursuing his delusion at the expense of indigenous lives and the Amazon itself.
The production is doomed from the start- the initial leads Jason Robards and Mick Jagger had to drop out when Robards fell ill on set; filming unintentionally fell on one of the driest recorded seasons the Amazon has ever seen, stranding the boat on a sand bar for months; the dry season was immediately followed by one of the wettest seasons, making the river dangerous and flooded. The replacement lead, Klaus Kinski, is notoriously difficult and threw frequent tantrums on set. The locals hated him. The locals soon turned on Herzog for building a makeshift village on the land without their consent- rightfully so. People died of disease. A local was shot through the throat with an arrow by a neighboring tribe. And still Herzog persevered, delirious with ideas and heat and damp and unwavering will.
Partway through the film, I pulled out my phone and started typing in my notes app. Carlos pulled out his phone and read a little snippet he wrote that day:
I smiled and showed him mine: “Werner Herzog in Burden of Dreams Core”.
I’m only a girl!
But I can’t deny it. Something about Herzog’s tucked-in white t-shirt and belt spoke to me. The trousers elevated the look, sometimes topped with a partially-buttoned button down that looked effortlessly chic even when covered in mud. There’s something to be said for keeping it simple, especially in the summer months. A breathable tee, trousers I can move in, and a light overshirt for when the sun goes down is usually all you need to traipse around the (concrete) jungle. I realized I had all the elements in my closet and decided to put a few looks together.
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First up is a button down with trousers and a belt. Herzog often wears his partially unbuttoned to reveal the t-shirt underneath. I’m wearing my cream button down with favorite pair of trousers (I own three in different colors) both from Uniqlo. The brown tank peeking underneath is from Los Angeles Apparel, which I also own multiples of. The belt is boyfriend’s, and too big for me. I paired everything with my butter yellow Adidas sneakers because we need to stay comfy on set. The olive drab Helmut Lang overshirt draped over my shoulders is too big for me but feels very Herzog.
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Next up is the classic vintage tee with green trousers. The t-shirt I’m wearing is from boyfriend’s closet, and well-worn. You wouldn’t be able to tell if the holes forming around the neck are from me or from catching stray branches weaving through the Amazon. The pants are vintage military from The Kissing Booth in Portland, OR. The Marsélls on my feet look like they’re up for a trek, but in reality have no traction whatsoever and would cause certain death hiking up the mountain in Fitzcarraldo.
Lastly, I paired these Aeron cargo pants (my favorite bottoms at the moment) with this Rick Owens x Champion shirt I inherited from Carlos because it’s labeled a men’s large but is child size. Goodfight sent me this bag after I had the pleasure of serving some of their team at the restaurant I work at a few weeks back. It’s perfect for showing off my essentials (lipstick, cinnamon altoids, old receipts). I’m tying the look together with my Camper mary janes because I want to look like Werner Herzog and Sandy Liang in equal measure. Sue me!
Thanks for reading. I’ll leave you with this unhinged clip from Burden of Dreams:
“Burden of Dreams” is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. “Fitzcarraldo” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and Peacock.