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One of the many documentaries circulating around the world film festivals at the moment is `My Best Fiend', which deals with the often strained love-hate relationship between the German director Werner Herzog and his Teutonic prot g , Klaus Kinski. Both highly egocentric personalities, bordering on narcissism, the documentary highlights the creative frisson at work, as well as the unbridled madness. `Aguirre: The Wrath of God' is the culmination of their talents and arguably their best work. Ostensibly about the early 16th Century Peruvian expedition for a lost city of gold by the Spanish explorer Pizarro, the actual subject matter is about power and what some people will do to achieve it. Staggeringly hypnotic and lyrical, this film ranks in my top five films of all time for the simple reason that it is incredibly dreamlike, yet ironically, the most realistic evocation of a historical period that has ever been portrayed on film. Opening with a sweeping pan over a winding Incan trail, a team of Spanish conquistadors, Indian allies and native American and African slaves, beasts of burden and heavy artillery march down a steep incline. This is 1972 and there is no CGI, no trickery, Herzog actually forced his actors to lug a cannon around the Andes (and much more besides). Almost immediately a viewer will notice the menacing power of nature and the isolation of the expedition party. This isolation is what Aguirre calculatingly plays upon. After the impressive opening, Pizarro's search for the city of gold (the Cibola of Peru) almost immediately runs into trouble. Uncertain of which direction to strike out for next, he divides his party into two and hands the leadership of the other party to a nobleman and assigns Aguirre as his lieutenant. Aguirre has different ideas of what the goal of the expedition should be, namely that the quest for gold should be replaced with the conquering of a great slab of territory, as land brings power, not gold. He continually undermines the nobleman leader and slowly lets his hunger for power come to the fore. Eventually Aguirre tires of the yoke and mutinies, encouraging others to join him in his quest for power. All the while, the party is slowly travelling by raft down a broad river (an upper tributary of the mighty Amazon?) being slowly decimated by both nature and the local inhabitants. Oblivious to the dwindling party, the mad Aguirre wants to get to the end of the river and carve out his empire, regardless of the consequences. ... Kinski's performance (as Aguirre) is absolutely first rate and the supporting cast are exceedingly talented, however, the power of the film lies behind the extremely adept way in which Herzog handles the visuals. It truly makes one feel like one is walking with the primitive, dirty, rapacious, immoral conquistadors. These visuals are heightened by the wonderful music of Popul Vuh. A `Krautrock' band, they nevertheless eschewed the harsh sparseness of Kraftwerk, Can, Neu, Harmonia and Cluster to come up with a far richer more melodic sound. Beautifully mournful organ music and soft pan flute music were used in all the right places to enhance the visuals' dreamlike qualities. All in all, I can recommend this film wholeheartedly to any lover of cult movies, of history, or of European cinema. It is, however, a very deliberately paced movie and would not be enjoyable to those who are looking for mindless action or who can not appreciate that cinema gives you.Read full review
this is not for everybody, but if you can appreciate, it this is a minor masterpiece. beautifully shot tale of blind ambition based on the true story of lope de aguirre and his mutiny during the spanish conquistadors search for the city of el dorado.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
One of the great films by Herzog.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
What an astonishing movie and piece of cinema history. So engrossing I never really noticed the subtitles, A novel and very strange experience.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Some of the most breathtaking and clearly arduos cinematography that I have ever seen. Brilliant performance by Kinski as the ever maddening Aguirre, which (as I am to understand) is not much of a departure from Kinski's true persona, captured by the legendary visionary Werner Herzog. The employment of the Peruvian tribal peoples indigenous of the regions wherein the film takes place (both in plot and in shooting location) is poignant and leaves you awestruck. Perhaps doubly so as you quickly come to realize that you are witnessing the horrifically laborious tasks and journey set forth in plot being genuinely performed by these peoples. This film is hauntingly captivating, an all too underrated classic.
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