Rent Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)

Mission Impossible (spoilers). - Aguirre, Wrath of God review by Steve

Unorthodox historical account of Spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre’s quest in 1560 to discover the mythic city of gold at El Dorado- supposedly based on the diary of his christian missionary. Inexorably the foolhardy expedition is consumed by lunacy and preyed on by indigenous tribes.

The opening scene of a royal train in a mountain descent, captures the greed borne insanity, the cultural incongruity, and the misguided heroism of Empire. The long ago conquerors seem to emerge out of the sky in their absurd uniforms like ghosts, burdened by the junk of their culture.

There’s a benchmark deranged performance from Klaus Kinski as the hubristic aristocrat who intends to inaugurate a pureblooded dynasty through marriage to his own daughter. Though he hardly seems to be acting at all, but permeating the madness with his presence.

The hallucinatory conclusion with the self-appointed sovereign drifting down the Amazon on a raft of monkeys with the corpses of his men, is astonishing. The hypnotic soundtrack of electro-prog is inspired. It’s not lengthy, but feels like an epic of the imagination. It’s Herzog’s best film and the masterpiece of the New German Cinema.

Oh God, what a film - Aguirre, Wrath of God review by PT

From the opening scene this film is brilliantly shot. Apparently shot on a low budget, which is all the more remarkable. Klaus Kinski is brilliant in the lead, an insane megalomaniac, who is so convincing lunging around like some kind of leering hunchback. The direction by Herzog is equally impressive, giving the film a dark feeling of one mans obsession with power and riches. For film buffs this is a must see.

Just as significant today - Aguirre, Wrath of God review by DF

The masterly direction of Herzog and the terrifying portrayal by Kinski create a powerful allegory on the shameful history of colonialism and its attendant racism together with the all too familiar danger of a megalomaniac managing to cast himself into a position of power. The film was made in the 70s and presumably Herzog had in mind Nazism and Hitler. Chillingly, however, the theme of the movie strikes me as being just as powerful in 2016 and one doesn't have to look too far for the allegorical representation. Aguirre, has a maniacal obsession to create a 'new world order'. He summarily disposes of his main opponent using a made-up quasi judicial process and continues by leading a hopeless band of passive followers up a jungle river to an inevitable conclusion. Kinski's portrayal of Aguirre is, as I have said, terrifying; every move and gesture that he makes has chilling menace.

A movie just as significant today as when it was made. A warning for our times.