It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Tourists who chose the off the beaten track in Peru would be rewarded with an unusual sight. A rusty steamer is found in Manú River. Vegetation was all over it, and in a matter of years, it may not be noticed by those passing by this part of the Amazon Basin. This riverboat provided an interesting, if not intriguing, story about this region. Spanish colonization? Not quite. Spanish American wars of independence? Not really. It was about a man, his life no less ordinary.
Carlos Fitzcarrald was not only a household name in the Madre de Dios region. He was rather infamous. He was unknown beyond its borders, until Werner Herzog made a film about his exploits in the Amazon. "Fitcarraldo" was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Film. It was also selected as the entry of West Germany for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 55th Academy Awards. The accolades weren't unexpected, as this wasn't like any other biofilm.
Art imitates life
Herzog made the film long before the computer-generated special effects became the norm. The movie poster shown a ship being transported over the mountain. It piqued everyone's curiosity. The director recreated a happening highlighting Fitcarrald's exploration of the Manu Biosphere Reserve. The native of Munich employed the Aguaruna people during production. They did built the steamer and transported it from one end of the river to another. A mountain separated both ends. The indigenous people of the Peruvian jungle was said to be cooperative and friendly at first, only to end up hostile. They burned the film set after the completion of shooting.
Was Herzog mad? Perhaps. He tried to recapture what Carlos Fitzcarrald went through. He was a rubber baron from Iquitos, which wasn't the fifth-largest metropolis in Peru back then. Some would credit him for the transformation, but with hesitation. As Herzog's film had shown, he exploited the natives in able to make his vision come true.
It won't be hard to imagine Fitzcarrald to be ruthless and cruel, forcing the natives to work under the pain of death. History might be kind to him, as that part of the Amazon might have remained undiscovered up to now. (The traits of success include sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism, and self-interest.) What was even more interesting (or puzzling) was Fitzcarrald had a gramophone. He brought it along his trip, the opera music blaring loudly in the wilderness. Some would see madness, while others find beauty.
Polish actor Klaus Kinski portrayed Fitzcarrald, his bulbous eyes showings signs of instability. If not for the music. It happened during the 19th century, far away from the conflicts in Europe. The Isthmus of Fitzcarrald was named in that part of Manu Biosphere Reserve, a recognition of his feat. This might be one good reason for tourists to try the off the beaten track. If not, they can imagine how the animals (in the Amazon) will react to pop music.
