Review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Snehil B — 29 Dec 2008
If you are a newbie to the films of Werner Herzog then watch this with the commentary otherwise you will just be lost.
Called Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes in its original German, this is the tale of Aguirre, a Spanish explorer of the 16th century on the edge who goes over to crazy-town and hijacks his team of soldiers on a quest for El Dorado.
Based on some true bits and starring Herzogâ??s favorite actor, Klaus Kinski, as the Don Lope de Aguirre, this is a quest-for-the-grail meets the Heart-of-Darkenss filmed in Peru in the days before CGI, let alone computers.
This film is legendary for its jungle shots, the real isolation of the crew, and the rumor that things were so bad that Herzog had threatened to shoot Kinski if he didnâ??t go on acting (Kinski said Herzog had a gun, Herzog denies this).
The film itself is a study for budding directors who want to see vision in effect. Kinski is great as the maniac running the asylum. The shots are beautiful and the fact that the cast and crew lived on rafts on a river for months in isolation just adds to the tone of the movie.
In many ways, you feel their pain. Herzog knows how to get you emotionally involved against your will. Because it was filmed in German, you will have some distance but it will have an effect.
Not for general audiences (your friends, family, etc.) but worth it if you are into film.
This review of Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) was written by Snehil B on 29 Dec 2008.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God has generally received very positive reviews.
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