Rating: 
Summary: Sheer Genius
Review: Herzog's superb direction and Kinsky's haunting performance combine to create one of the most breathtraking films I have ever seen. The 'Wrath of God' deals not only with the tangible results of Aguirre's treacherous insanity but also with the philosophical implications about the human condition, and what would become of it if order was to be removed in favour of pursuit of capital. Kinsky plays madness like a man who knows his subject too well and produces an excellent performance of a man driven to self destruction by his own exaggerated sense of destiny. The film explores what would happen should man be removed from morality and social constraint and Herzog nicely concludes that essentially life becomes a struggle against nature and each other, treachery being a constant tool of the psychotic Aguirre. The final shots - Kinsky on his raft, alone but for the monkeys are some of the best in cinematic history; as Aguirre rambles on about commiting the ultimate treachery by taking Mexico from Cortes, marrying his daughter ( deceased by this point ) and creating a 'purest dynasty', Herzog pans the camera around him leaving the viewer with a definate sense that he is alone but for the ambivalence of the jungle. This film is simply a masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: Aguirre: Will to Power
Review: This movie bored me silly, with the exception of the character Aguirre, played by Klaus Kinski. All the other actors seemed to be stumbling around their lines and were overdramatic. Aguirre electrified the screen everytime his image graced it and every line, every glare, every low-key command wrought forth Aguirre's will to power. Aguirre achieves his power at the end of the movie, and it isn't quite as Nietzsche would imagine it. But, who knows, perhaps Aguirre finds his gold after all.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning...Haunting...Unforgettable
Review: Aguirre is one of those rare films where I can find new meaning in each successive viewing. At first, I thought this film merely dramatized an ill-fated Spanish expedition. However, I found deeper ideas in Aguirre emerging as their expedition drifted further into the engulfing jungle. What's most enjoyable about this movie is exploring its symbology. This is the sort of film that will impress each viewer differently, so I won't try to make a definitive analysis. It is unmeasurable in rational terms. Think of that unforgettable scene near the end where the monkeys are swimming towards the raft--what does that mean? My brain cannot grasp the effect that scene had on me, but I do know how I felt at that moment. This film reaches down to grasp primal, human fears, yet, in those depths it also achieves a transcendence. A masterpiece of vision and cinematography.
Rating:
Summary: top ten movies of all time
Review: for over a decade this has been my favorite film (gods must be crazy #1 is still second). the film is a neverending group of metaphors that can floor you. first off, it's astounding that anyone could make a film under those conditions. then to actually make you feel there is even tougher. my favorite scene is klaus kinski deep in thought while an indian plays a pan pipe in front of him and you can tell klaus is torn between killing him and just enjoying his music but nothing is said. i can easily see the average american, who can't place europe on a map of the world, being bored & annoyed by this movie. but any reader or thinker would can't help to be affected by this profound almost docudrama of men in groups away from justice & society and how they usually can't help themselves from exploiting others when no one is looking.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad, depressing, tedious
Review: This film is a slow, grinding, expression of human misery. I urge you to avoid this film unless you take interest with the subject. Werner, I like your films, but couldn't you have found something cheerful to develop in this one? Oh, I forgot, you're German! Don't go there.
Rating:
Summary: The most difficult and despairing trek on film
Review: Surely the greatest film to emerge from the New German Cinema movement, the visionary Werner Herzog follows a band of Spanish conquistadors as they journey down the Amazon river in search of the mythical lost City of Gold. Commanded by Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) who soon succumbs to megalomania and its disastrous consequences, the expedition is thrust into circumstances it can neither control nor escape, leading to inevitable doom..."Aguirre, The Wrath of God" is intense. Herzog has created a film that feels unbearably realistic as he records his cast wandering around dazed and lost, sometimes looking directly at the camera in total despair. The soundtrack music, some haunting electronic soundscapes by Popol Vuh is kept to a minimum, and Herzog accentuates the tension by concentrating on the sinister quietness of the river and hazardous jungle. Kinski is sensational as the loathsome Aguirre, and as a metaphor for another notorious figure that embraced megalomania, the character takes on an even greater significance. Shot by Herzog's regular cameraman, Thomas Mauch, the film is signposted with some extraordinary images - the opening where the conquistadors descend a mist shrouded mountain, a character who hallucinates to seeing a ship marooned upon a tall tree, and the final scene, where Aguirre is alone on his raft and over run with tiny monkeys is both astonishing and mocking...
Rating: 
Summary: One of Werner Herzog's Best
Review: I've had this movie for quite some time and must say that it's one of director Werner Herzog's best. Some of his films have fallen short of my expectations, but this one has held up. The scenery is beautiful, and the acting and plot are to match. Klaus Kinski is great in playing the tyrannical Aguirre. Eccentric movie, but still recommended.
Rating:
Summary: By far one of Herzog's best movies
Review: This is one of those movies I just can't get tired of. It was superbly directed and acted, and the atmosphere is unbelievably surreal and hypnotic. It is a wonderful statement of Mankind's cruel and foolish pursuits against the tough and beautiful reality of mother nature. The Spanish party tries hard to show the world how superior they are, but they just aren't equipped to handle what they get into.
Rating:
Summary: The real tropical rainforest
Review: This flick is a wonderful description of a tropical rainforest river ecosystem, at its most realistic and best - completely pristine. Picture this: hoisting bejewelled women in their brocaded gowns in curtained boxes up a muddy cliff edge; beautiful horses jittering around and falling through slowly disintegrating rafts, frantic men in heavy armour going round and round for days in a whirlpool behind a rock - and then disappearing. Anyone who is struck by the spirit of exploration and adventure in the new world should see this film. By the way, you will quickly see that this is not a lot of foo-foo special effects: the cast and crew really did these things. Congratulations.
Rating:
Summary: Rusty Cannons and Bananas
Review: Colonialism and evolution! Larvae and tarnished helmuts! Occasionally, a sedan chair drifts through me, and then some "terraces of climate"! Ahistorical, transcendental bliss is a difficult art to master. Dante-esque and brilliant, even in its predictable miscues! Did I mention the dried gourd?
|
