Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Jacob O — 09 Jan 2011
Werner Herzog's early masterpiece is extremely unsettling and apprehensive in its entirety. Yet, despite its incredibly disturbing visuals as we enter the mind of a power-mad conquistador, it's a strangely beautiful film.
Popol Vuh's soundtrack is as equally unsettling as what's onscreen, and it's especially effective in a particular shot, where the large group of Spanish conquerors (who speak in German, no less) walk along a Southern-American mountain, looking like ants as they travel among the outstanding natural beauty.
It can come as a surprise that Herzog did not storyboard the film and improvised every shot, for the cinematography is haunting. An engrossing film.
This review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) was written by Jacob O on 09 Jan 2011.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God has generally received very positive reviews.
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