Like many filmgoers, Les Blank's unforgettable documentary about Werner Herzog's intrepid efforts making "Fitzcarraldo," in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, introduced me to the maverick of New German Cinema.
You might think of "Fitzcarraldo" as Herzog's "Apocalypse Now."
Herzog has remained an adventurer for the purpose of making documentaries, but he would not return to another jungle for 25 years, when he filmed "Rescue Dawn" in a Laotian hotchpotch.
Little did I realize when I first saw "Burden of Dreams" that both films ("Fitcarraldo" and "Burden of Dreams") premiered at Cannes during the 1982 festival.
What a halcyon year that must have been on the French Riviera.
Since then, "Burden of Dreams" has become an essential companion piece to "Fitzcarraldo."
I had the good fortune to witness the premiere of the 4K restoration of Les Blank's beautifully crafted documentary at Manhattan's Film Forum Cinema in the presence of Blank's co-filmmaker Maureen Gosling, his filmmaker son Harrod Blank, restoration expert Anthony Matt, and audio restoration expert Nick Bergh.
It is an experience I will not soon forget.
The film's newly achieved pristine sound and images, deliver an immediacy to a documentary that carries an editorial weight of unexpected political importance thanks to scriptwriter Michael Goodwin's input.
Like Herzog, Les Blank was an explorer of culture, passion, and truth.
If the metaphor of pulling a steam ship over a mountain sounds like a Sisyphean effort, you are in the right ballpark. Big dreams demand big efforts; the burden is always on the dreamer to follow in their footpaths. Thanks to the late Les Blank and his still vibrant team, you can do just that.
Not Rated. 95 mins.
The 4K restored "Burden of Dreams" is rolling out in cities across America this summer. Catch it if you can!
