One of the most revered filmmakers of our time, Werner Herzog wrote this diary during the making of Fitzcarraldo, the lavish 1982 film that tells the story of a would-be rubber baron who pulls a steamship over a hill in order to access a rich rubber territory. Later, Herzog spoke of his difficulties when making the film, including casting problems, reshoots, language barriers, epic clashes with the star, and the logistics of moving a 320-ton steamship over a hill without the use of special effects.

Hailed by critics around the globe, the film went on to win Herzog the 1982 Outstanding Director Prize at Cannes. Conquest of the Useless, Werner Herzog's diary on his fever dream in the Amazon jungle, is an extraordinary glimpse into the mind of a genius during the making of one of his greatest achievements.

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In Werner Herzog’s highly anticipated new film, Nicolas Cage plays a man as devoted to police work as he is to scoring drugs. A high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective, he ranges over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Adding to his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manicly humorous. In this book devoted to the film, renowned photographer Lena Herzog’s documentation of the film captures the uniqueness of the director’s vision, the set, and the actors. The volume also includes the script, written by Billy Finkelstein, reworked by Herzog....