Week 4: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Before Viewing 

Being a film AND history buff, in college I picked up a book called Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies. It basically examined a bunch of films based on historical events and individuals, and discussed how accurate they were. Not only was it an enjoyable read, but it also introduced me to a lot of films with which I was unfamiliar. One film that caught my eye was the story of a conquistador who went mad in the jungle during one of the many unsuccessful searches for El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. I’d never heard of Lope de Aguirre or this film, but I made a mental note of it. A few years ago, I came across this film in one of Ebert’s Great Movies books. I know he holds Werner Herzog in high regards, and I’ve made it a goal of mine to see more of his films. I wanted to see this one first because of my prior knowledge of it as well as some of the lore surrounding the film. Also, I’ve never seen Klaus Kinski in a film, and I’ve read a lot about him, so I figured this would be a good one to start with.

Thoughts After Viewing

Ebert says that Herzog likes to shoot on location to gather in some of the ‘voodoo’ that exists in these authentic locations, and I can certainly see why in this picture. My goodness, the jungle in this film is one of the lonliest places I’ve seen. I love Apocalypse Now, and I can see how this film probably influenced the way Coppola put together his ‘going down the river’ sequences. I loved how the arrows just came out of the jungle, assailants unseen. It certainly adds to the foreboding and danger of the jungle. The establishing shots of the muddy water really reveals how everything there is dirty, filthy, unclean, and uncomfortable.

Kinski was definitely the madman I was lead to believe that we was. He has these great crazy eyes, and I commend Herzog for allowing Aguirre to look directly into the camera at certain points, especially during the ‘those who follow me with have untold’ riches speech after his henchman beheads a would-be deserter (side note: having the dead man’s head finish counting was brilliant). Aguirre comes across as ruthless, scheming, and cold-hearted, yet the scenes with his daughter are surprisingly tender (note that the stupid movie poster above IS a spoiler). One character who stood out for me was Lady Inez, the mistress of the original party leader who is betrayed by Aguirre. I just loved the way she stood up to Aguirre AND stood by her love. The way she chose to ‘commit suicide’ reminds me of the way the younger sister killed herself at the end of The Last of the Mohicans. Ines looked so beautiful and strong going into the jungle, and you couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Really, just solid acting all around.

I will say this for Warner Herzog- the man has an eye for composition. I loved the shots- in fact, what I thought was remarkable was how the film played like a documentary more than anything else! I’m sure it’s because of the fact that they were using smaller cameras and a small crew. That’s why Kinski’s looking into the camera (without breaking the fourth wall, by the way) was so effective. Because Herzog’s insistance of authenticity down to the actual location, the film plays like a true historical document and not just a film.

The Final Say

See it. Enjoy it. It’s definitely one of those films you’d call hauntingly beautiful, and for all the right reasons.