TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

TheLittleSongbird German director Werner Herzog is one talented film-maker, with some of his films among the finest of German cinema. Meanwhile, one of his most frequent collaborators Klaus Kinski was a somewhat larger than life actor in terms of screen presence with a seamlessly commanding if at times wild style of acting.Having heard nothing but good things about 'Aguirre Wrath of God' and finally getting back on track with my film watching, it was at long last viewed. Whether it is the best Herzog/Kinski collaboration is up for debate, to me it's among the best. It is still a crowning achievement for both Herzog and Kinski and a fine example of German cinema. No matter how much it has divided audiences it cannot be denied how much effort went into 'Aguirre Wrath of God', especially with its troubled production behind the scenes.'Aguirre Wrath of God' is quite brilliantly made. The cinematography and editing may not be some people's definition of "beautiful, but they are still impeccably crafted and enhance the harrowing atmosphere magnificently. Every bit as impressive is the locations and how they are used. Having real life locations rather than studio sets gave the film so much realism, and they are both stunning and atmospheric. The music is sometimes sparse but when used pretty haunting.Typically Herzog directs splendidly, delivering on the substance as well as the style. The script is largely improvisational but it is remarkable that it still flowed surprisingly well. 'Aguirre Wrath of God' is not a long film and it's paced in a way that while deliberate and nuanced one never feels every second or minute. Instead if in the right mood or taking the film for what it is and what it set out to do one gets swept up by the shocking power and poignancy of what is depicted.On top of all this, the acting is remarkable, considering the conditions and that the script was written in haste and apparently the actors weren't even permitted to see it, let alone read it. There is not a single weak performance but it is Kinski who dominates the cast and the film, a powerful and chilling performances that burns long in the memory. Not a subtle performance by any stretch but the role (which is a deliberately eccentric one, a trademark of Herzog being having eccentric character in difficult conditions) and the film didn't call for subtlety really.In conclusion, a crowning achievement in every regard. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Brian Berta When I looked at a summary of what this film would be about, I assumed that it was going to be a fast-paced action film. However, what I got was something entirely different. This film felt unique compared to other survival films, and I don't think that many other directors would be able to make it as good as good as Werner Herzog did. This is a kind of a film which gets more mysterious the more I think about it.In 1560, hundreds of Spanish conquistadors leave their home in the Andes mountains in search of the fabled country of El Dorado. Running low on supplies, 40 men are ordered to scout ahead by a raft on a river. If they don't return in one week, they will be considered lost, and everyone else will return without them. However, their expedition proves to be more and more dangerous as the days go by.As I said above, I was expecting something completely different. I was expecting a typical fast paced action/survival film. Instead, this movie had very few battle scenes. Most of the action showed a character hit by an arrow or die off-screen. We sometimes saw glimpses of Indians or heard gunfire in the distance, but every time a character was killed by the Indians, the enemy was always unseen. I feel like Herzog's reason for filming the action like this was to show how vulnerable the Spaniards were. It was almost like he was letting the audience know that they stood no chance against the Indians. This aspect also applies to other areas. For instance, after a group of people become untrusting of their leader Guzman, he is found mysteriously dead moments later. Another great scene is when one of the characters walks off into the jungle never to be seen again. However, the best use of this aspect involves the large group of people who waited for the 40 men to come back. Since they were never seen again in the film, it raised the possibility that they might be either struggling with the Indians or are already dead. I'd say that despite the exception of a single scene and a single line of dialogue, the action was perfect.The character of Aguirre is hard to describe. The reason I say this is because it's hard for me to decide whether he was meant to be a protagonist, an anti-hero, or a villain. If I had to choose, I'd say that he falls somewhere in the middle of being an anti-hero and a villain. He seemed like a character who cared about nothing more other than having everything done the way he wants and discovering El Dorado at all costs no matter how much of his men are still alive. He didn't seem to care about the fate of his crew (except for maybe his daughter). If any of his men would try to defy him, he wouldn't hesitate to end their life. A great plot point that given us insight to how mysterious Aguirre's character is was how he wanted Ursua to die. After Ursua is sentenced to death, the leader of the group (Guzman) prevents him from dying (an action which clearly infuriates Aguirre). After Guzman's mysteriously killed off, however, there's nothing stopping Aguirre from executing the man. With that being said, I feel like Aguirre killed Guzman, because that way, he'd be able to kill Ursua without anyone stopping him. Guzman's death seemed convenient for Aguirre. Aguirre is definitely one of the more memorable movie characters I've seen in a while.The visuals in this movie are also worth noting. They feel both awe-inspiring and unsettling. A great example of its visuals is the intro to the film. It does a great job introducing us to the environment the film takes place in. When the film starts off, we see hundreds of men and women marching down narrow paths in the mountains. The scope of this shot is amazing as it lets the audience know how insignificant the men are compared to the terrain they're walking across. It also gives you a feeling that the Spaniards and the Indians will encounter numerous hardships during their expedition. Another scene that has a similar feel to the intro is when we see the rafts floating down heavy rapids in the river. Both of these scenes show that Herzog isn't afraid of risking his crew's life just to make a film.There are also a few haunting visual set pieces. One of these scenes occur near the end when the Spaniards see a ship up in the trees. All of them react differently to it. One person thinks that it's a hallucination while another person thinks that it's real. Aguirre tells his crew to bring the ship down so they can use it to sail to the Atlantic, but one member of Aguirre's crew immediately refuses to do so - this is one of the only times in the film where a character disobeys Aguirre. This is a disturbing scene as it shows us how weak the mental state is of the remaining crew members. Another memorable scene is the ending where monkeys overrun the raft. That scene shows how Aguirre has been conquered by nature.In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised with this film as it turned out to be completely different than how I imagined it would be. It's a brilliant film. It may not quite reach perfection, but it's still an outstanding and a unique film. The action scenes feel unsettling, Aguirre was a memorable villain, and the visuals evoked different moods from me. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for Herzog in the future.

Sir Azid Ahmad If Werner Herzog had made the decision not to make "Aguirre, the Wrath of God", the Francis Ford Copolla's "Apocalypse Now", the greatest war movie ever produced, will not be with us today. This is the first of many collaborations between director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski and probably acted as the feat which rocketed Kinski to world's attention. Shot with a simple 35mm camera, and equipped with low budget, "Aguirre" is another proof that a film needs not to pretend to be grandiose, and yet be revered and remembered. Although Herzog proclaimed that the story inspired by a book devoted to Lope De Aguirre (a real-life 'Aguirre') is mostly fabrications, historians confirmed that there are events in it which really did happen during the conquest in the 16th century.The movie begins with groups of Spanish Conquistadors (a.k.a. Spanish conquerors) marching down mountains to search for the city of El Dorado. El Dorado is a mythical city; which had been falsely believed that it was occupied with riches of gold. Blinded by greed, these European colonisers could not deny its existence, and set off for the discovery of the city, but to only realise afterwards that the heinous expedition brings not wealth upon them, but only destruction.This is uncommon, but the element which induces the movie's immersive cinematic experience is its music. Right from the beginning, there is something subtle in its score, which I care not to explore, that brings forward ordinary attentions. Herzog's masterful direction in its visual images just further complemented it.Kinski's Aguirre will largely be remembered as a villain for his betrayal and ruthless leadership. But Aguirre, despite his villainous antics and stuff, actually rebels a side that is arrogant and oppressive, instead of a band of people that are honourable, decent and respectful. We all know that the armed-Spanish, when set foot on those South American lands, actually did colonise them, and that is not too bright morally. I believe that, rather interpreting Aguirre as the bad guy like how movie history depicts, it would be more interesting to observe him as a judgement call for the wrongdoings that possibly had been done by the Spanish occupiers. The closing scene where Aguirre is seen to be the only one alive while everyone is dead, just accentuated him as a metaphorical figure.If Kinski had not played the title character, would this picture be still relevant as it is today? I am doubtful if he was merely being himself or not while playing Aguirre but who cares; his depiction as the insane Spanish 'villain' is perfectly fine. Kinski put up genuine intimidation for a man who is cunning, selfish and cold. No matter how strained the relationship between Kinski and Herzog during the filming phase was, their collaboration for the movie is indeed essential.The portrayal of a man seeking for his own destruction is absolutely spot-on. To be able to conquer the city of El Dorado, and exploit its wealth is a short-cut to success. The Spanish, with all their power and sophistication, would had believed that their goals will be fulfilled with ease, even if there is no solid evidence proving the existence of the mentioned city. It seems to me that the sense of superiority has an insidious impact on them, or us in general. Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is undeniably a more polished picture, but its roots for inspiration which is Herzog's "Aguirre", is a staggering masterpiece of minimalistic and honest cinema.(Cinematicmadness.blogspot.com)

Eric Stevenson I was interested in seeing this movie upon seeing it appear in Roger Ebert's list of Top 10 favorites movies of all time. I think it might have been the only Foreign Language film on the list. Then again, I think "La Dolce Vita" might have been there too. I'll just say it's his pick for best foreign language film. And honestly? I think it's probably mine too. I'm normally not into Foreign Language films, but this is a breathtaking exception. The plot is quite basic, with a group of Spanish explorers searching for the legendary El Dorado.I am reminded of reading the book "War And Peace". It was great just to see the area being described, but it was the deep dialogue that really made it readable (is that a word?). The same works here. The camera work is among the best I have ever seen in a movie. I just love the way it shows people off in the distance and how it focuses on the most important things. Everything about this movie just looks beautiful. I love the costumes, I love the animals (who must be real), I love the environment, it's simply a gorgeous film. There is some action in it, but for the most part, they just have realistic stuff going on. The entire movie takes place outside and I don't think anyone is ever in a house.That's a wonderful and unique way to film. Even the very first scene had me hypnotized. It's beautiful to see these people being led along a mountain. Near the end of the movie, the title character Aguirre is told there is probably no golden city, but wants to conquer whatever he finds. Mixed throughout the film are insightful messages about politics and religion and the true motivations behind these ideals. It's one of the most philosophical movies I've seen in a long time. The title is spoken in a wonderful way as this is how Aguirre sees himself. The film never really ends, it just stops with little progress made in the entire story. It works wonderfully that way.What's great is just how amazingly realistic this film is. It shows how we crave glory and how we act around people of different races and beliefs. Everything just molds together for a wonderful visual feast. Near the end, we're not even sure of what's real. A guy is hit with an arrow, but it might just be in his (or someone else's) imagination. It is this delusion that makes us question exactly what goes on around us. After watching such horrible movies like, "They Saved Hitler's Brain", "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein", and "Doomsday Machine" this was an inspiring thing to watch. The only bad thing about this movie is that it's only a hour and a half! It seemed more worthy of being a truly epic film. Still, it works wonderful with its time and I obviously recommend it. ****