Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)

Aguirre: The Wrath of God (NR) - Review

"The Greats of Wrath"

Herzog's symbolic South American adventure down the Amazon in search of El Dorado is awe inspiring.  Even those under the effects of severe food poisoning can stomach and devour such a fine piece of cinema.  As Pizarro's expedition haphazardly moves on, Klaus Kinski's Don Aguirre take a more and more dominant role.  Klaus dominates the camera, his every enigmatically erratic movement and pronunciation is enrapturing, he is the vision of cost of conquest in the name or religion, in proceeding in God's name instead of simple human intuition.  Like a dream the movie moves towards its inevitable conclusion(s), like a raft drifting downriver un powered, helpless to hit the sea.  Powerful, visually striking, unforgettable, I'm still unsure if it was Herzog or Kinski who is to blame.

9 Hunched Conquistadors out of 10 (GREAT)