Rent Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)

Uncompromising - spoilers follow ... - Aguirre, Wrath of God review by NP

The documentary ‘My Best Fiend’, in which acclaimed German Director Werner Herzog discusses his love/hate relationship with actor Klaus Kinski (with whom he made five films), explores the complicated balance between genius and someone whose mood-swings makes him virtually unemployable.

‘Aguirre’ was the first collaboration between the two men, with Herzog initially hoping to instill the character of Lope de Aguirre with the kind of genuine manic behaviour he had previously witnessed from Kinski. To say the resultant shoot proved to be fraught is an understatement. And yet, to some extent, the gamble paid off, with Kinski giving a tremendous powerhouse performance. To my mind, however, even this was somewhat overshadowed by the punishing conditions and Amazonian surroundings the characters go through.

In front of the camera, the story tells of the travels of Spanish soldier Aguirre, who leads a group of conquistadores down the Amazon River in South America in search of the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. Behind the camera, Kinski’s tantrums terrorized the crew and local natives who were assisting the production. It is difficult to know which is more fascinating, but there’s no doubt that ‘Aguirre’ is an uncompromising and bleak journey into madness and mistrust.

The music comes from West German band Popol Vuh – an excellent soundtrack which conveys both the majesty and unforgiving qualities of the environment. Additional music comes from the persistent native gentleman who doesn’t let the conditions put him off playing a selection of panpipe pieces that lighten and irritate with equal measure.

As you may expect, the journey doesn’t end well for anyone, but the final image of Aguirre alone and still battling to survive, is a strong one. You have to be in the mood for this, but there is no doubt is a very grim and powerful piece of cinema. My score is 7 out of 10.