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Summary: MY FAVORITE DIRECTOR....STILL LIVING THAT IS.
Review: I don't want to get into the details of this film,read other posts.I just wanna say WERNER HERZOG is the one the world's greatest,boldest,visionary film makers.I put him up there with KUBRICK and KUROSAWA.I think he's a real poet.I Suggest seeing all his films.He's my favorite of the German Cinema Big Three,(FASSBINDER,WENDERS AND HERZOG).Mr. Herzog is a unique and fascinating artist.
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Summary: Into a green silence
Review: Enough has been written here of the movie's virtues, of its subtlety and gloomy charm. I just want to share the memory of the very last scene, the scene any viewer will find unforgettable: the ragged raft on the brown Amazon; the lush, green indifference of the jungle bordering it off; a swarm of tiny monkeys scuttling over the rusty cannon, between languid corpses and strewn, broken junk; a transcendent blue sky; and the lonely, so very lonely-hopeless-defiant silhouette of Aguirre wandering and stumbling in circles with his purple shirt sleeves dangling and an absurdly large rapier on his belt, the hilt level with his chest. He is the last man on this earth. He wanders, and wanders, and wanders...See the film.
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Summary: Kinski, El Dorado, and the Heart of Darkness....
Review: "I am the great traitor. There can be no other. Who ever even thinks about deserting will be cut into 198 pieces! I am the wrath of God!" Such is the credo of Aguirre, the self-proclaimed "Wrath of God," menacingly betrayed by the infamous Klaus Kinski, he of the iron-cold stare and clenched jaw, in Werner Herzog's "Aguirre the Wrath of God." Taken from the accounts of a monk, Gaspar de Carvajal (or so the preface says; no such accounts exist) the film, on the surface, is the tale of a group of Spanish invaders, circa roughly 1560, traveling deep into the Amazon in search of the legendary city of El Dorado, and, more specifically, the riches therein. The films is bookended by two of the most impressive sequences in cinema history; the first I will describe, the second I won't, save for the fact that it is one of the most precise, harrowing, and correct endings ever filmed. We begin with a large line of Incan natives and Spanish soldiers descending a steep mountain path in a shot that is notable not only for its raw beauty, but for its cinematic achievement as well. Once this procession ends, we are introduced to Carvajal, our narrator, the foul-tempered Aguirre, and Pizarro himself. It is his decision, upon the realization that their journey thus far has been folly, to split the party up into two groups; he will lead the main body, Don Pedro de Ursua will lead the other along the river. Ursua's second in command: Don Lope de Aguirre. To continue to summarize plot would be pointless (the film is much better speaking for itself), but essentially the film tells of the difficulties the party faces due to numerous factors (i.e. hostile natives who refer to the invaders as "meat", rough terrain, starvation, etc.) But that is all surface; what's underneath is a disturbing portrait of man's capibility for violence and greed that ranks alongside the other cinematic river journey into man's nature, "Apocalypse Now" (in fact the parallels, on-screen and off between the two is uncannily similar, and too lengthy to go into here.) Or is it Herzog's subtle metaphor for the creative process itself? Decide for yourself; Herzog certainly won't admit... Among the chaos is the curiously limping, tyrannical Aguirre, whose visions of grandeur overwhelm all those who surround him. The only man who could have possibly portrayed him this perfectly was Kinski, and the only man who could have directed this film so perfectly was Werner Herzog. The stories of Herzog's battles with his friend/nemesis Kinski are legendary (as depicted in the excellent Herzog-directed documentary "My Best Fiend"...also part of the Herzog/Kinski collection of DVD's) but something despite the conflicts arose, and it's evident onscreen. Kinski's Aguirre is tyrannical, hot-headed, and delusional, yes, but he also carries a more disturbing air of quiet observation, and even a hint of compassion, as displayed by the scenes where he interacts with his daughter. Herzog's direction is impeccable as-well; he gets right into the action with a pseudo-documentary approach to shooting, but also allows the story to carry the proper amount of surrealism (as displayed in a scene where a Spaniard is beheaded while counting to ten...he gets to nine, the sword falls, his head rolls a few paces, and the severed head croaks, "Ten.") He also captures a few scenes of primal beauty that are pure chance (or pure talent?) Examples of this are the way he portrays a raft of doomed Spaniards trapped in the rapids from a far distance (they're no longer Aguirre's men's problem) or a certain scene involving an excitable group of monkeys. Overall the films stands as one of the cinema's most effective portraits of man's ability for evil when faced with overwhelming greed at the expense of others. Kinski and Herzog made several masterpieces, each of them as beautiful as the next, but it's Aguirre that floats into my mind the most. Watch it with "Apocalypse Now" as a double feature...you'll never trust your fellow man again.
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Summary: FIve, but for the print
Review: First, the DVD itself. The print is a good one, but unfortunately, it's a cropped print, the cut for television kind, so we lose about 15 percent of the shot on either side. Having said that, there is no letterbox version available yet, so this is as good as it gets. And it really is a great DVD for two obvious reasons. First, the film remains strong thirty odd years later. Secondly, it's worth buying just to hear the director's commentary. Who, for instance, knew that Herzog wrote the script in two and half days on a soccer tour, and would have been finished a little quicker had his drunken goalkeeper not vomited over his manuscript? If that's where good movies come from, bring on the beer. The film has many strengths. Shot entirely with one camera, it gives off a sense of realism and intimacy that epics can only strive for. Herzog has taken many liberties with the story of Lope de Aguirre, but it's simply not important. What you do get is an inspired vision of meglomania and delusion, transmitted in small visual details that show how powerful film can be in the right hands. A boat stuck fifty feet up in a tree, a group of chattering monkeys boarding the doomed raft, an outhouse poised above the running waters. It helps that Kinski is at the top of his game, ie, looking several cards short of a full deck. You can watch another thousand films and never see an actor better cast.
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Summary: Correction to earlier criticism
Review: Someone stated earlier that you should avoid this dvd as it is full frame and not widescreen. "Aguirre" was shot by Herzog in 33:1 aspect ratio, and there is no widescreen version of the film.
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Summary: Heart of Darkness
Review: AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD - Werner Herzog Just do a google for this film and you will find it on a lot of respected top ten's and endless reams have been written on the insane level of perseverance that Herzog demanded of himself and his crew in the making. The plot, as it may be, follows the path of a 16th century Spaniard expedition into the South American jungle in search of the fabled El Dorado (city of gold). Any number of parallels have been drawn between the story of the expedition and the actual shooting of the film for which Herzog herded a crew of 500 into unexplored wilderness, facing similar difficult conditions, including allegedly the possibility of starvation. The extent of this is evident right from the first take which shows a train of men and animals moving down a narrow mountain trail, a majestic fog swirling in the background. The film is shot with cameras normally used for documentaries, necessitated, I suppose, by the need for extreme flexibility in their handling, since quite a few shots appear to be taken from precarious angles, including a shaky raft in the river rapids. Along with the use of natural sound, it creates a credible documentary-esque ambience.
This party is an arm of the main Spanish conquest led by Pizarro, delegated to ascertain the existence of El Dorado and return immediately to the mainstream. It is led by Don Pedro de Ursua with Aguirre as second-in-command. After seeing no signs of El Dorado in the period allotted to them, Ursua decides to return to Pizarro, but Aguirre has other ideas. He instigates the men into mutiny and wounds Ursua. Naming the burly champion Fernando de Guzman Emperor of El Dorado, he exhorts the party into casting off their allegiance to the Spanish crown and joining him in the quest for the new land. Herzog's favorite actor Klaus Kinski plays Aguirre as a handicapped yet arrogant figure determined to crush the forest into submission and establish his own dominion. The men accept his will giving in to fear for their lives and greed for the gold, thus embarking on a quest that will eventually cost them their lives and their sanity. The film moves throughout in a purposely leisured step, mimicking the pace of the raft traversing still water. All around the forest (and its inhabitants) appears to be draw them into its trap, quietly mocking all their attempts to subdue it until they are done in by their own foolhardiness, leaving only Aguirre with his long-unhinged claims of coming down on the land like the Wrath of God.
This film has a veritable haunting quality in its visuals and the concluding scene showing Aguirre stranded on the ravaged raft with only a pack of (Death's Head) monkeys as audience to his raving is one of cinema's memorable moments. On the negative side most of the characters other than Aguirre are, in my opinion, weakly developed, even nondescript, and take significantly away from the film's emotional strength. Attempts to infuse a fatalistic humor (like a soldier who falls mouthing "So long arrows have come into fashion", and the head that finishes its last word after being severed) come off badly. At certain moments the film even struck me as an aesthetic non-gory "Cannibal Holocaust", but taking into account its many strengths, this is a fine and even memorable effort from the much-admired Herzog.
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Summary: The Madness of Conquest
Review: The off screen conflicts between German director Werner Herzog and volatile thespian Klaus Kinski during their many cinematic collaborations reached such epic levels that Herzog eventually made a documentary recording the details of this relationship. It isn't difficult to imagine that Kinski would be such a taxing individual when one looks at his film work, and it isn't surprising in the least that many of his roles dealt with men teetering on the brink of insanity. Kinski truly looks the part, with his crazy stare and unkempt hair swirling about his head. This actor went on to work in numerous low budget films before his death in 1991, but his films made with Herzog stand as a testament to greatness. The first of these collaborations is this film, 1973's "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," with subsequent projects appearing through the 1970s and 1980s. All told, Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog made five films together: "Aguirre," "Fitzcarraldo," "Cobra Verde," "Woyzeck," and "Nosferatu." I can't speak for three of these films because I haven't seen them, but "Fitzcarraldo" and "Aguirre" are spectacular achievements. If Herzog had never made any other films than these two, people would still consider him a great filmmaker. It's a darn shame more movie viewers don't know anything about Herzog's pictures. The plot of "Aguirre" is relatively simple. It's the sixteenth century, and Spain continues its conquest of South America. In its search for gold, conquistadors under the command of Pizarro set out to find the fabled El Dorado, the city of gold. The Spanish set forth with 1100 men and numerous Indian slaves, but rough rainforest conditions soon undermine the expedition. Before quashing the mission, Pizarro orders his men to break up into groups and continue down a river for a few days. If these groups of men find nothing, they are to return and the entire contingent will go back to "civilization." One of these smaller expeditions sets out under the command of a Spanish nobleman named Don Pedro de Ursua, along with Don Lope de Aguirre in the role of second in command. Toting along a priest in case the expedition needs to bring salvation to the natives, the men head off to their destiny. Problems soon emerge: traveling down a river in the rainforest isn't easy, and soon death and destruction rear its ugly head. When the time arrives to head back to Pizarro, Aguirre orchestrates a coup against Ursua in order to continue the quest. What follow is a rapid descent into madness, as the conquistadors elect one of the noblemen Emperor of El Dorado and run into one conflict after another with the local populations. Supplies run low, murder and intrigue abound, and famine follow in rapid succession. Aguirre ignores it all, pushing forward as his delusions of grandeur reach undreamt of heights. So many elements of this film work that it's tough to outline all of them. Herzog's mania for realism led him to essentially launch a genuine expedition. Those soldiers trudging through the muck, carrying a cannon down a mountain, and sailing in a rickety raft are really doing it under those grueling conditions. If you think this isn't real, remember that this director hauled an actual steamship over a mountain in "Fitzcarraldo." Perhaps it's no surprise that Kinski went nuts a few times during his projects with Herzog; I too might have cracked under these types of conditions. Along with the director's hyperrealism, the cinematography of the South American rainforests along with glimpses of local natives simply arrests the eye in virtually every scene. The haunting yet beautiful soundtrack by Herzog favorite Popol Vuh sounds better than the music they did for "Fitzcarraldo" a few years later. "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" isn't one of the best films I have seen recently; it's one of the best films I have EVER seen. Madness and the pursuit of myth dominate the film, but I also noticed a few other ideas threading their way through the movie. The Catholic priest is really an intriguing character throughout the mission. Herzog shows the Church's complicity and hypocrisy in the European campaigns in South America through this man's actions. The priest carries a sword and helps aim the cannon when Aguirre and his men raid a local village. Moreover, when a native stomps on a Bible during a failed conversion attempt, the good father orders the killing of the Indian and then promptly performs last rites over his bleeding corpse. "Aguirre" captures perfectly the moral ambiguity of missionary efforts among non-Christian populations during the age of discovery. Another element in the film concerns the attempts of Aguirre and his men to impose European political and social concepts in the harsh environment of the rainforest. The power plays, political intrigues, and the assassinations of various conquistadors mirror exactly European politics of the time. Jockeying for power is one thing, but doing so in the midst of dangerous rainforest miles from any form of civilization results in nothing but grief. Perhaps the madness of Aguirre is meant to represent in microcosm the madness of European ideas regarding subjugation and genocide. The DVD version contains an excellent transfer of the film along with bios of Herzog and Kinski, trailers for the film, and a commentary by Werner Herzog. I thoroughly enjoyed the effort Herzog and Kinski put into the project and you will, too, if you give this one a chance. A movie that fires on all cylinders, "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" will put you in a reflective mood after you watch it, and isn't that a sign of great cinema?
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Summary: Herzog's Best
Review: Although Herzog made some of the best movies of the German cinema, Aguirre stands out as the very best. Deep and brilliant allegory coupled with the genius/psychosis of Kinski's acting. This is the film that put both over the top. Amazing and hypnotic musical score by Popol Vuh, and tremendously gutty, but disproportionately dangerous and ill-advised filming in the Amazon. Herzog is one of the most brilliant directors in all of film, and often executed masterpieces with shoe string budgets.
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Summary: fever dream
Review: massive historical drama that only has a little to do with south american history, a lot to do with the nature of the human illusion of power. this movie, directed by werner herzog, has the director and his best "fiend" klaus kinski at the peak of their creativity, subtlety, and dense masterful layering of ideas. this movie is basically like a well cut diamond, the deeper you look into it, the more the many facets reveal themselves. this is a relatively short movie, about 90 mins., and about half of it is dramatic photography and slow moving music.
the look of the charactors, both spanish conquistadors and south american natives, is authentic, and a feeling of isolation and endlessness washes over every photo sequence of the amazon river and the thick jungle which encloses it. the charactors are going mad, and all but aguire (played by kinski) know that they will never leave the jungle and river alive.
the river itself comes across as a quiet, ruthless reminder of human mortality and the persistence of nature in light of "man"'s attempts to interfere. the conquistadors are ruthless yet fully deluded, they can't even land on solid ground in their new "kingdom" because its all river and swamp and mud. for every indian they kill, one of their own is killed by an indian. they are going hungry and are dilirious with fever. the whole "exploration", the whole desire to "conquer" that hostlie land appears completely daft and ludicrous.
herzog take us on a trip into the delusions of the human mind, the cruelty inherent in "modernizing" the entire world,the pointlessness of materilism, and the paradoxes of the "manifest destiny" ideal and one sided religious belief.
i can only tell you to see this movie, watch it by yourself late at night and be amazed. the final scene is mind blowing, to say the least.
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Summary: Long Live Klaus!
Review: ...In this film, Klaus gives a characteristically intense performance with his greatest collaborator, Werner Herzog. Watch for the scene in which Klaus physically intimidates a horse to the point of making it fall down! Kinski was one of a kind.
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