Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) (1972)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  I've seen it but I've never REALLY seen it.

• Chris G

  
  Deep in South American jungle there's something afoot. A splinter group from Pizzaro's expedition is sent to find El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. This group is steeped in Christianity as they spread it throughout the new land and the natives that inhabit it. It's… More
  Deep in South American jungle there's something afoot. A splinter group from Pizzaro's expedition is sent to find El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. This group is steeped in Christianity as they spread it throughout the new land and the natives that inhabit it. It's like a trade in a way: We'll give you Christ if you give us the gold. As the film progresses and the group heads further into the jungle everything begins to fall apart as the natives become more and more restless and Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) develops the obsession of being the next Cortez. Aguirre lends itself to so many films that came after it, particularly Apocalypse Now. The basic premise between the two films is the same. A mission on a boat slowly falls into total chaos. Just like the characters on screen, we have no idea what's around the bend in the river ahead. With Aguirre, there are two things that make it such a great movie. The first is Werner Herzog's direction. All great directors use the environment and the background as another character in their film. Herzog accomplishes this by making shots seem so beautiful and so sinister at the same time. What lies in the trees over there? Herzog gets into the soul of the jungle right along with the souls of the characters. Of course when we talk about characters we have to discuss the second part of the Aguirre equation and that is Klaus Kinski. He is that desire, that rage, that cut throat individual that will advance to his goal no matter what the cost. He surveys the land like a god looking over his domain. He will start is own empire, even when things are at their darkest. In a way Aguirre and Kinski are bound by their identities. They're the same person in the end. Aguirre is one of those films that people stumble upon. A story that doesn't sound like much on the surface becomes an imaginative journey into the unknown. A story that is universal in nature, Aguirre is a great piece of German cinema.

• Chris W

  
  This film is just full of tension and a creepy, unsettling mood for the entirety of its running time. This is also one of Herzog's most visually stunning, engrossing, and haunting films. The film also boasts one of Klaus Kinski's finest performances. All around, one of the… More
  This film is just full of tension and a creepy, unsettling mood for the entirety of its running time. This is also one of Herzog's most visually stunning, engrossing, and haunting films. The film also boasts one of Klaus Kinski's finest performances. All around, one of the most perfect and greatest films ever made.

• Michael G

  
  Aguirre, the Wrath of God was definitely some incredibly powerful filmmaking but not worthy of the 5-star reviews everyone's throwing it. Werner Herzog's pseudo-documentary directorial style (this was my second movie of his I've seen) plunges his audience straight into… More
  Aguirre, the Wrath of God was definitely some incredibly powerful filmmaking but not worthy of the 5-star reviews everyone's throwing it. Werner Herzog's pseudo-documentary directorial style (this was my second movie of his I've seen) plunges his audience straight into the madness and Klaus Kinski keeps you there. For as great as Aguirre was, thankfully Herzog and company let you off the hook after an hour and a half. I got a real Apocalypse Now vibe off this movie despite the fact this came out several years beforehand.

• Arash X

  
  No doubt about its greatness but man the ending is truly haunting & it is what turns Aguirre from a great film into an unforgettable masterpiece

• Anthony L

  
  One of the greatest films ever made, Herzog's behind the camera and Kinski in front, it was always going to be good but this film has influenced a whole parade of fantastic films but has never been matched in greatness. The quintessential tale of power, greed and madness. My crap… More
  One of the greatest films ever made, Herzog's behind the camera and Kinski in front, it was always going to be good but this film has influenced a whole parade of fantastic films but has never been matched in greatness. The quintessential tale of power, greed and madness. My crap little review doesn't do it justice.

• Elvira B

  
  <p>Aguirre: The Wrath of God was directed by the fearless Werner Herzog. He embarked on a production/adventure in the Amazon jungle to film an episode of Don Lope de Aguirre's eventful life.</p> <p>Aguirre is shown as part of a Conquistador's crew. After… More
  <p>Aguirre: The Wrath of God was directed by the fearless Werner Herzog. He embarked on a production/adventure in the Amazon jungle to film an episode of Don Lope de Aguirre's eventful life.</p> <p>Aguirre is shown as part of a Conquistador's crew. After many days in the rainforest, he tires of being ordered about and decides on becoming the leader of the expedition. No one protests; he is sly, skillful and ruthless. He creates an imaginary Kingdom in those lands ("El Dorado"), names one of the crew members King, and takes his men -and his daughter- upriver, to the conquest of the rest of the jungle.</p> <p> The film is masterfully developed, building up moments of tension and release until the haunting ending. Throughout, the uncertainty is unbearable. The key here, I believe, is Herzog's treatment of silence, facial expressions, and time. This story about a madman in the jungle becomes monumental Nothing happens for a long stretch, and then a rebellion, a gunfight, a hallucination... The characters are mostly quiet, silenced by Aguirre's own threatening stillness, but Herzog's close-ups of their faces suggest thoughts, plans, schemes, desires. Many of them don't know why they're there (both in the film and in real life).</p> <p>The cinematography is bewildering and, as Herzog said himself, the jungle acts as a psychological mirror for the characters: their minds are cluttered, dense, and increasingly menacing towards each other as they sail deeper. Dialog is very scarce, but often memorable. One of the director's trademarks, besides the realism of his filmmaking, sometimes so honest that it seems obvious, is his choice of supporting actors: he picked several non-actors who give a fascinating air to the film and take the "documentary" feel even further. When they talk, they seem to be addressing you.</p> <p> The most obvious standout is Klaus Kinski's terrifying performance as the Wrath of God: brooding and collected like a criminal on death row planning a breakout. He seldom speaks. Kinski acts with his walk and his face. When he talks, the jungle goes silent, and the cast gets nervous. This is one of the greatest actors I've ever seen. He had everyone, even Herzog, on the edge of their seat. The true story behind this painful shoot is only coherent with the powerful performance. Together, actor and director seemed to reach a perfect understanding. They admired each other even if they didn't admit it then. If they hadn't, Aguirre would have never succeeded.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Right from it's impressive opening shot, Herzog's minimalistic masterpiece wastes no time to get things going. A dommed expedition searching for el Dorado shows the most nasty side of human greed. No over the top scenes, dumb "climax" or other pointless stuff that… More
  Right from it's impressive opening shot, Herzog's minimalistic masterpiece wastes no time to get things going. A dommed expedition searching for el Dorado shows the most nasty side of human greed. No over the top scenes, dumb "climax" or other pointless stuff that other movies would rush to do. Everything here comes slowly: the lack of food, the killing from always present but hardly seeing locals in the forest. Kinski's cold stare pierces your soul in ways few actors in the world could ever do. The final sequence with the monkeys, and Kinski as the last mand standing in this mindless quest is pure cinematic poetry.

• Robert C

  
  A film that is subtle, quiet and racked with tension. Few people can capture the essence of obsessive compulsive behavior and (ultimately) total madness like Werner Herzog. And he does it in a way that (at times) can almost feel like a documentary. At least from a visual… More
  A film that is subtle, quiet and racked with tension. Few people can capture the essence of obsessive compulsive behavior and (ultimately) total madness like Werner Herzog. And he does it in a way that (at times) can almost feel like a documentary. At least from a visual standpoint. Having said that, few people can play obsessive compulsive and/or mad quite like Klaus Kinski. Though with Klaus, I tend to doubt that these characteristics were much of a challenge for him to bring to the screen. While the stories of their shoots together are the stuff of (film shoot hell) "legend", the end result was usually a masterpiece in one sense or another. This film is no exception and could not be made today with the same powerful realism. With the exception of the horribly fake 70's "special effects" blood. of course. I would love to hear his (real life) daughter Nastassja Kinski recount of this shoot. She plays a small role as Aguirre's daughter in the film.

• Curtis L

  
  Just wasn't that interesting to me. I did like that I was watching a movie about Spaniards speaking German with English subtitles.

• Derek D

  
  A visually stunning portrayal of a trek through the jungles towards the legendary city of El Dorado, which was supposedly made of gold. Nice story, even though it's complete bullshit. As the journey gets longer and even more seemingly hopeless, the members seem to give up but… More
  A visually stunning portrayal of a trek through the jungles towards the legendary city of El Dorado, which was supposedly made of gold. Nice story, even though it's complete bullshit. As the journey gets longer and even more seemingly hopeless, the members seem to give up but continue on as Aguirre gains more and more power within the group. When Aguirre finally takes over after the death of the Emperor and the execution of the first-in-command, everybody is starving and hallucinating. Kinski gives one of the best performances I've ever seen. Has some rather unintentional funny lines in it that are made even funnier by Kinski's deadpan acting style.

• danny d

  
  often considered one of the better films ever made, this is probably herzogs greatest work. in many ways its acclaim is deserved, the locations were awe inspiring, the music and cinematography were haunting, deliberate, and effective, and kinski played aguirre perfectly. however,… More
  often considered one of the better films ever made, this is probably herzogs greatest work. in many ways its acclaim is deserved, the locations were awe inspiring, the music and cinematography were haunting, deliberate, and effective, and kinski played aguirre perfectly. however, this film loses points with me because it just wasnt entertaining. disturbing films can be masterpieces if they are consequential, but this one wasnt in many ways. it just didnt connect. definitely made like a masterpiece, just not played like one.

• Stephen M

  
  Considering that it climaxes with a fanatical Klaus Kinski auditioning for the Ministry of Silly Walks on a raft, squeezing a monkey and ranting and raving at a bunch of dead people, I'm always surprised I don't like this movie better than I do. I certainly admire it and I… More
  Considering that it climaxes with a fanatical Klaus Kinski auditioning for the Ministry of Silly Walks on a raft, squeezing a monkey and ranting and raving at a bunch of dead people, I'm always surprised I don't like this movie better than I do. I certainly admire it and I can appreciate its influence on both lowbrow (<I>Cannibal Holocaust</I>) and highbrow (<I>Apocalypse Now</I>) cinema, but I've never been especially awestruck by it. If I'm watching a historical drama, I prefer the camerawork to be as unobtrusive as possible. The major problem I have with <I>Aguirre</I>, and other historical stories filmed in a documentary style, is that the handheld photography heightens my awareness of the guy behind the camera, and the inevitable anachronism of a camera crew in the 16th century shatters the illusion of period. If the desired effect is to transport me back in time by making me feel part of the action, I find the opposite to be true: the story is dragged back to the present day and, to borrow the tagline of <I>The Last House on the Left</I>, I can't <i>stop</i> reminding myself that<I> "It's only a movie... It's only a movie."</I>

• Pierluigi P

  
  Herzog's semi-documentary style succeeds to capture an almost Shakespearean portrait of the megalomaniac spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre, wonderfully played with all his mannerisms by Klaus Kinski. A bleak poem of greed, thirst and madness. A strong influence for… More
  Herzog's semi-documentary style succeeds to capture an almost Shakespearean portrait of the megalomaniac spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre, wonderfully played with all his mannerisms by Klaus Kinski. A bleak poem of greed, thirst and madness. A strong influence for Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

• Kalel J

  
  A film of breathtaking visual splendour, Aguirre: The Wrath of God is a film that stays finely in tune with the beauty of it's natural scenery while giving a vivid and real insight into the truths of madness and the thirst for power. ...more soon.

• Christopher M

  
  A beautiful and brilliant film in every possible way. Herzog's direction is, as usual, masterful and he gets out of Klaus Kinski a wonderfully tormented and astounding performance; in the process creating one of the greatest characters ever put on film. Herzog's guerrilla… More
  A beautiful and brilliant film in every possible way. Herzog's direction is, as usual, masterful and he gets out of Klaus Kinski a wonderfully tormented and astounding performance; in the process creating one of the greatest characters ever put on film. Herzog's guerrilla style of filmmaking is on display here and a true testament to how dedicated a director can be to his art.

• Sarah G

  
  This was a pretty strange film. Not many German films are quite like this

• Grant B

  
  Very interesting! Filmed for only $370,000, this film I feel captured everything that I've learned about Spain and their conquests of "New Spain". I really enjoyed Werner Herzog's decision to film the movie like a documentary! Were there a few moments that were… More
  Very interesting! Filmed for only $370,000, this film I feel captured everything that I've learned about Spain and their conquests of "New Spain". I really enjoyed Werner Herzog's decision to film the movie like a documentary! Were there a few moments that were "slow"? Sure, but it was all building up to the crazed ending and establishing that their quest was doomed and pointless from the start (although bold). The lead actor, Klaus Kinski, was amazing. Even during scenes without dialogue, you could feel his inner tension and conflict with being "2nd in command". Also interesting: The film is almost completely in German, which I feel made it more intense (simply because the German language is always a kick in the face). The decision for German over Spanish may have been practical with the young German director and his German cast, but it really made it feel even more sinister.

• Alec B

  
  Its alright, not as good as Herzog's magnificent return to Peru in "Fitzcarraldo" . Its a really wonderful idea and I think it starts great. The film drags terribly for much of the final act which is strange given that its only an hour and a half. Kinski is great in it,… More
  Its alright, not as good as Herzog's magnificent return to Peru in "Fitzcarraldo" . Its a really wonderful idea and I think it starts great. The film drags terribly for much of the final act which is strange given that its only an hour and a half. Kinski is great in it, he speaks volumes with just a simple facial expression.

• Mike T

  
  An essential, haunting piece of cinema whose legendary status is heightened by the largeness of its production story. Herzog's approach to this story is bold, painting it with an organic visual quality and abandoning conventional narrative format. With spare use of music and… More
  An essential, haunting piece of cinema whose legendary status is heightened by the largeness of its production story. Herzog's approach to this story is bold, painting it with an organic visual quality and abandoning conventional narrative format. With spare use of music and emphasis on imagery, this film is a disturbing portrait of a warped mind. Klaus Kinski's performance is built largely on physical tendencies, and the things he does with movement and facial expressions are astonishing. This is a breathtaking masterpiece and a truly great example of acting.

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