Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Matt M — 23 Jun 2013

Herzog's first (and arguably best) masterpiece. If the film has a fault, its a rather minor one in that the German dubbing was not done very well, but it is for the most part overcome by the great non-verbal communication between the actors (especially Kinski).

The film's final few minutes are generally regarded as the most memorable, but for me, its the film's first few minutes where the Conquistadors and their slaves are travelling through the mountain range. At the risk of sounding pretentious, Herzog captures something almost transcendent here, and the music by Popol Vuh greatly contributes to it.

Herzog's (and Kinski's) legendary status began with Aguirre.