A ruthless soldier leads a mutiny and slips slowly into madness as he
takes charge of a Spanish expedition for El Dorado in the 16th century. BIOPIC/DRAMA
|
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)Written and Directed by Werner Herzog
Starring Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter Berling, Cecilia Rivera, Daniel Ades |
As much as I wanted to like this film, Aguirre failed to engross me as I was far too distracted by the film's snail's pace. While it is a brilliant example of cinematography and a perfect showcase for Klaus Kinski, this film is not for the faint of heart and casual moviegoers will no doubt be bored to tears.
Having said that, Aguirre does succeed in delivering an honest depiction of the doomed expedition of Gonzalo Pizarro, who led a team of men into Peru in the 16th century to search for the fabled city of El Dorado. Klaus Kinski's character Don Lope de Aguirre led a mutiny that resulted in the deaths of Aguirre's entire group due to starvation and constant attacks from the natives. The third act shows the slow deaths of his people, which is done from Aguirre's perspective, so you're not entirely sure if they are really dead or he's hallucinating. The end result is entirely up to the viewer. The film is difficult to get through, but the end result is worth watching for Kinski's performance alone. I usually don't prefer films with little to no story, but Aguirre manages to be at least watchable due to a combination of great performances, a haunting score, and engaging set locations. |