Werner Herzogs Fitzcarraldo tells the story of a man with almost superhuman ambitions. Ironically in filming the movie, Herzog himself displayed an obsession with achieving the same unthinkable goal  moving a boat across a mountain. This project will examine the parallels between the outrageous feats accomplished both on screen and off, while simultaneously putting the film in the historical context of the Amazon rubber boom at the end of the 19th century. By looking at the contrast between the final film, the production, and the historical context, one may hope to gain an insight into the mind of this most interesting director.