Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

How does one go about reviewing a movie like this? Well, let me first start by saying that is was the first Werner Herzog / Klaus Kinski collaboration I’ve seen. It’s also their first, and I was more than a little nervous.

The opening shot is one of the most fantastic opening shots I’ve ever seen; absolutely striking. A long line of men crawls its way down a steep path in the mountains, wearing steel helmets. These men are not dressed for the jungle.

We learn that this is the story of the doomed expedition to find the mythic city of El Dorado. It’s set in 1560-1561, when conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro led a body of men on an excursion into the rain forest to find the lost city, which would hopefully make them rich. Their circumstances soon divide them and start driving them mad. Men start dying. I won’t spoil how it ends, but the final shot is almost as striking as the opening shot. Very powerful stuff.

I didn’t find the plot all that engaging. I got the most enjoyment from all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Kinski had, throughout his life, the reputation of being a bit mad, and his relationship with Herzog was stormy and, at times, violent. In this movie, Kinski has that deranged look about him and he’s absolutely mesmerising.

Herzog, meanwhile, claims he didn’t know most of what he was gonna shoot until right before he shot it, and there are a few scenes in the movie where the audience can’t even really tell if what we’re seeing is an outtake or an actual shot. He has even said that the most extraordinary thing about Aguirre is that it exists at all.

All this combines into a project that is more interesting in its conception and execution than the final product. This movie is worth seeing solely for the sheer madness of it all. And really, if you’re gonna make it worth your while, watch it again with Herzog’s commentary on.