Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Peter F — 04 Feb 2013

Herzog's masterpiece is without a doubt one of the most influential films of the last 50 years. Made on an incredibly tight budget and grueling conditions, Herzog's film is the anti-thesis of an epic, and is instead a mood-piece about the folly and madness of tyranny.

It's minimalist aesthetic gives the film an odd yet stunning look, that communicates to viewers just as well as the performances. Haunting, beautiful, and occasionally very funny, you can blame Aguirre for pretty much every other cinematic fever trip to follow it, from classics like Apocalypse Now, to more recent mainstream releases like The Grey.