RETRO MOVIE REVIEW: AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD, 1972

AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD, 1972, a cult film of epic proportions. Written and directed by legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog (NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, 1979 and WINGS OF HOPE, 2000). Starring the internationally famed cult actor Klaus Kinski (DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, 1965 and VENUS IN FURS, 1969).

In 1560, just after Spanish conquistadors conquered and enslaved the Inca Empire, a soldier by the name of Lope de Aguirre (known as El Loco, The Madman) leads a group of fellow soldiers and slaves into the Peruvian jungle and down the Amazon in search of the mythical city of gold, El Dorado. The ill-fated expedition is fueled by the power hungry conquistador’s imperialistic dogmatic and greed-filled mindset, which basically is to eradicate those who do not have the same religious ideology and then pillage their land in order to drain it of its natural resources.

Although the legend of El Dorado had changed over time; from a man covered in gold, to a city made of gold, and then an entire empire made of gold, it didn’t matter to the conquistadors, so long as they found and pillaged it, supposedly in the name of the king of Spain. Even though there might have been a rumor about a mythical native chief that was covered in gold as an initiation rite, the story caught the ear of the greedy conquistadors and gradually escalated into the biggest mother load imaginable. Funny thing is, it’s rumored that the local natives might have invented the magnificent tale in order to drive the conquistadors deep into the jungle where they would parish. Legend or not, the conquistadors were too blinded by greed to not try and find the mythical city, suffering and endangering their lives every step of the way in the name of fortune and glory.

What a grand story to be immortalized on film! But, there is also the story behind the arduous production. Supposedly Werner Herzog shot the film in chronological order, because he believed the film’s cast and crew’s progress on the river would directly mirror that of the explorers’ journey in the story. The film was shot entirely on location and was problematic from the start. Filming took place in the unforgiving Peruvian rainforest and on the Amazon River. The cast and crew climbed mountains, cut through heavy jungles, traversed violent rivers, were beaten down by tropical storms, eaten alive by bugs, and bitten by monkeys. Talk about suffering for your art!

The main location was the Amazon River itself. No studio back lot or CGI here; it was the real deal. The crew and local natives built the rafts that served as the sets. Not only that, they built rafts that served as their lodging while shooting on the turbulent river. Not an ideal place to shoot a film or live, even temporarily. The cast and crew truly spiraled into their own decent into madness for the sake of the film.

This cult classic is a wonderful film to watch and study, even more so because it’s based on amazing historical events. Not to mention its influence on filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola (APOCALYPSE NOW, 1979). Add this film to your collection and get lost in the fanaticism of filmmaking and the historical elements inspired by them.