Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Free Great Movies Review

  •  (5 out of 5 stars)

Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) is probably the director's narrative masterpiece. It is both a dark comedy on the hubris of colonialism and a harrowing survival tale set deep in the Peruvian rainforest. Aguirre is played by the crazed actor Klaus Kinski whose wild eyed stares and erratic behavior are captivating throughout the film. The jungle locations in the film immerse you in another world combined with the repetitive sounds of the rainforest and the ominous score by Popol Vuh. As Aguirre and his fellow conquistadors drift further down the Amazon river, the death toll begins to mount. The quest to find the golden city of El Dorado becomes hilariously absurd, and the laughter sticks in your throat as you are confronted with the hallucinatory reality of the situation. The film builds to a stunning climax of Aguirre alone with his delusions of ruling an empire.

(Summary by FreeGreatMovies.com)