Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Brian R — 10 Apr 2010

"If I, Aguirre, want the birds to drop dead from the trees... then the birds will drop dead from the trees. I am the wrath of god. The earth I pass will see me and tremble. But whoever follows me and the river, will win untold riches. But whoever deserts...".

This is a quite startling piece of film-making, from the beautiful opening scene where the Spanish conquistadors descend from the Andes into the Peruvian jungle, to the ending where Aguirre, alone on a raft becoming over-run with monkeys, goes round in circles but still holds on to his mad dream of finding El Dorado. It is awe-inspiring. Klaus Kinski is brilliant as Don Lope de Aguirre, bringing a wild-eyed intensity to the role that perfectly conveys how one man's passion and zeal can lead to chaos and obliteration. Of course, we now know that Kinski was every bit as bonkers as the character he was playing, but it makes his performance even more remarkable. The supporting cast are all excellent but Peter Berling as Don Fernando de Guzman and Daniel Ades as Perucho are particularly wonderful. The soundtrack, by Popol Vuh, a German progressive/Krautrock band, matches the haunting visuals perfectly.