Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Ross B — 19 May 2013

Werner Herzog directs this conquistador film that centers on the madness and power lust of those that tried to conquer the new world. After Gonzalo Pizarro conquered the Incas in Peru, he sets his sights on the famed and fabled city of El Dorado.

With his supplies running low, Pizarro sends out a small expedition led by Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra) with Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) as second in command to try and scout out the area. But Aguirre has his own mad plans for the expedition and successfully commits a mutiny of Ursua.

What follows is the new groups trip farther and farther into the jungle, now serving only themselves, to try and claim the whole glory. The film is partially based on the real journals of a priest Brother Gaspar de Carvajal (played by Del Negro in the movie), who served under Pizarro.

Kinski is perfect as Aguirre, who is deranged by thinking that he can somehow take over all of New Spain with the little men that he has. His delusions of grandeur though can only lead him to a tragic end.

Kinski and Herzog would go on to do many films together with this one being their most storied collaboration. The film feels very similar in some ways to Terrence Malick in that there are gorgeous shots of nature, with the jungle itself playing almost an important character in the film.

It is an interesting film that at times moves along at a slow pace for something that is only around 90 minutes. Still an intriguing piece of cinema.