Fitzcarraldo

In the early 20th century, Iquitos is booming from the rubber trade. Fitzcarraldo, an Irish immigrant and opera lover who idolizes Enrico Caruso, dreams of building a grand opera house in the jungle city. Yet he has little capital and faces a harsh, money-driven reality.

Fitzcarraldo pursues various schemes to raise money, including an ambitious attempt to construct a Trans-Andean Railway. He remains driven by his dream despite repeated setbacks and a lack of funds. The effort reveals his indomitable spirit in the face of practical obstacles.

A rubber baron shows Fitzcarraldo a map and explains that the only remaining unclaimed parcel lies on the Ucayali River, but rapids block access to Atlantic ports. Fitzcarraldo notes that the Pachitea River comes within a few hundred meters of the Ucayali upstream of the parcel, suggesting a possible route. The plan hinges on moving a ship between rivers.

Molly, Fitzcarraldo's partner, funds the purchase of an old steamship, the SS Molly Aida. After purchase, they fix up the vessel and prepare it for the arduous journey ahead. The ship becomes the centerpiece of both his dream and the dangerous expedition.

Fitzcarraldo assembles a crew including a captain, an engineer, and a cook. They repair the Molly Aida and ready it for the grueling ascent into uncharted territory. The project requires teamwork, endurance, and a willingness to risk everything.

They sail up the Pachitea toward the point where it meets the Ucayali, entering territory inhabited by indigenous groups. The journey tests the crew with unfamiliar dangers and a distant goal that seems increasingly improbable. The expedition's pace is slow but persistent.

Soon after entering indigenous territory, most of Fitzcarraldo's crew abandon the voyage. Only the captain, engineer, and cook remain, forcing a smaller group to press on with the audacious plan. The loss deepens the peril but also highlights Fitzcarraldo's resolve.

The natives, impressed by the steamship, agree to assist Fitzcarraldo without asking many questions. Their involvement marks a turning point in the project and underscores the cultural clash and cooperation at the heart of the journey.

After months of labor, they pull the three-deck, 320-ton ship over the muddy 40° hillside using a complex pulley system and the ship's anchor windlass. The feat is a stunning display of ingenuity and stubborn will, yet the operation leaves everyone exhausted. The mountain crossing is the centerpiece of the expedition's ambition.

The crew celebrates with a drunken respite, and the chief of the natives severs the rope securing the ship. Fitzcarraldo awakens to find Molly Aida slipping toward the Pongo of Mainique rapids. The ship suffers no major damage, but the moment marks the collapse of the bold plan to move the ship through the jungle by sheer force.

Fitzcarraldo is despondent but practical, returning to Iquitos to reassess his dream. The expedition has failed in its original goal, and he must consider new paths to fulfill his passion for opera. The journey ends with a sense of squandered potential but not extinguished longing.

Despondent, Fitzcarraldo sells the steamship back to the rubber baron. There is still time before the title transfers, but the ship’s fate is decided by the market and by Fitzcarraldo's waning prospects. The dream seems crushed, yet there is a spark of opportunity still alive.

Hearing that a European opera company is in Manaus, Fitzcarraldo dispatches a plan to bring them to Iquitos. He sees a last chance to realize his dream by external help. The move keeps the opera dream financially and logistically alive.

With no opera house in Iquitos, they stage the production on the deck of the Molly Aida. Sets and props are built on board, transforming the ship into a floating theater. The makeshift stage showcases the power of spectacle in the jungle city.

The entire city gathers along the riverbank as Fitzcarraldo’s floating opera sails past. The spectacle succeeds in bringing opera to Iquitos after all, fulfilling the dream that started amid the rubber-boom bustle. The journey ends with art finally arriving in the jungle city.