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Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

West Germany

1972

93 Min
Color
1.33:1
German
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
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DIR Werner Herzog

PROD Werner Herzog, Hans Prescher

SCR Werner Herzog

DP Thomas Mauch

CAST Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter Berling, Cecilia Rivera, Daniel Andes, Edward Roland

ED Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus

MUSIC Popol Vuh

SOUND Herbert Prasch

Cannes (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs)

Synopsis

Upon learning of a land rich in gold called El Dorado, Gonzalo Pizarro, brother of Francisco, is induced to venture on an expedition of conquest beyond the Andes, at the beginning of 1560. Forced to stop in his tracks, Pizarro decides to send a patrol to explore along the river, placing Don Pedro de Ursua and his subordinate Don Lope de Aguirre in command. The raging river immediately puts their rafts in trouble. When Don Pedro decides to turn back to the base camp, Aguirre seizes the upper hand and names himself head of the expedition. He even writes a declaration of rebellion against Philip II of Castile. But due to hunger and continued attacks by the Indians, his strength slowly diminishes, until the self-proclaimed “Wrath of God” dies in late February 1561, in a tragic conclusion to his absurd mission of conquest. —Thessaloniki International Film Festival

Director

Original

Werner Herzog

One of the most influential filmmakers in New German Cinema and one of the most extreme personalities in film, Werner Herzog quickly gained recognition not only for creating some of the most fantastic narratives in the Film history, but for pushing himself and his crew to absurd and unprecedented lengths, again and again, in order to achieve the effects he demanded. Born Werner Stipetic in Munich on September 5, 1942, Herzog came of age in Sachrang, Bavaria, amid extreme poverty and destitution. After Herzog turned seventeen, a German film producer optioned one of his screenplays, then promptly destroyed the contract when he discovered the author’s age. Circa 1962, 20-year-old Herzog enrolled in the University of Munich as a history and literature student, and produced his first motion picture, the twelve minute Herakles, his second short Game in the Sand, and his third, the pacifist tract The Unprecedented Defense of Fortress Deutschkreuz.In 1963, he established his own production… read more

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Neon Jesus

4Mar12

Great film about insanity and folly. Enjoyable.

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T. J. Harman

24Feb12

I'm jealous of people who see this film (especially the last 20 minutes of this film) for the first time.

Yass and Daniel S. like this

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Yass

16Feb12

La première moitié m'a laissé de marbre, même si on distingue assez bien qu'il y a plein d'interprètations. La seconde partie, beaucoup plus hallucinée et montrant Aguirre, son faciès, et sa démarche, me hantera pendant quelques temps. Derrière ce film, il doit y avoir eu un effarant travail de logistique.

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Fans

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
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"The facts don't really matter:" An Interview with Ramin Bahrani, Part 2

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"The facts don't really matter:" An Interview with Ramin Bahrani, Part 1

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W184

"Bad Lieutenant": Aesthetic Interrupted

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W184

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Lists

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Reviews

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AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (AGUIRRE, DER ZORN GOTTES)

By Daniel A. DiCenso on September 4, 2011

As big a cult following as Werner Herzog’s Aguirre, the Wrath of God has gathered through the years and as high as its reputation has soared, no words can prepare audiences for their first viewing…  read review

TREATING HISTORY AS ART WITH ‘AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD’ (1972)

By Omar Antonio Iturria​ga on June 9, 2011

Official Review on my site

I am the wrath of God. Who else is…  read review

Aguirre the Eerie

By Beneezy on March 15, 2010

(Sunday, March 14, 2010 7:30pm)

First of all, Werner Herzog’s “Aguirre, The Wrath Of God,” is not only a masterpiece but also an essential film. Secondly, the expedition of Aguirre and his…  read review

AGUIRRE : LA SENCILLA MAJESTUOSIDAD DE LO ABSTRACTO

By VENIMOS LOS JODIMOS Y NOS FUIMOS on October 27, 2009

De lo mejor de los años 70. Completamente distinta a los canones comunes del cine epico hollywodense, la historia de Aguirre es narrada por Werner Herzog en un estilo minimista y contemplativo que…  read review

Forum

Displaying 2 discussion topics.

Original, Intended Language?

12 posts by 7 people over 2 years ago