Aguirre, the Wrath of God

[FrostyBoy]

I watched this a few years ago and loved it. I'm wondering what others' take on it is.

I loved the beginning, I really grasped a sense of what it must have been like back then, no Hollywood movie could pull off such a feeling.

Great movie, highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

[Az]

looks interesting.

[Kitschum]

I think the ending is perfect.

[chequita guevara]

It's a great movie.

Herzog's first choice for the role of Aguirre was actor Klaus Kinski. The two had met many years before when the then-struggling young actor rented a room in Herzog’s family apartment, and the boarder’s often terrifying and deranged antics during the three months he lived there left a lasting impression on the director. Years later, Herzog remembered the volatile actor and knew that he was the only possible man who could play the mad Aguirre, and he sent Kinski a copy of the screenplay. "Between three and four in the morning, the phone rang," Herzog recalled. "It took me at least a couple of minutes before I realized that it was Kinski who was the source of this inarticulate screaming. And after an hour of this, it dawned on me that he found it the most fascinating screenplay and wanted to be Aguirre."[6]

From the beginning of the production, Herzog and Kinski argued about the proper manner to portray Aguirre. Kinski wanted to play a "wild, ranting madman", but Herzog wanted something "quieter, more menacing". In order to get the performance he desired, before each shot Herzog would deliberately infuriate Kinski. After waiting for the hot-tempered actor's inevitable tantrum to "burn itself out", Herzog would then roll the camera.[7]

On one occasion, irritated by the noise from a hut where cast and crew were playing cards, the explosive Kinski fired three gunshots at it, blowing the top joint off one extra's finger.[3] Subsequently, Kinski started leaving the jungle location (over Herzog's refusal to fire a sound assistant), only changing his mind after Herzog threatened to shoot first Kinski and then himself. The latter incident has given rise to the legend that Herzog made Kinski act for him at gunpoint. However, Herzog has repeatedly debunked the claim during interviews, explaining he only verbally threatened Kinski in the heat of the moment, in a desperate attempt to keep him from leaving the set.[8]

To obtain the monkeys utilized in the climactic sequence, Herzog paid several locals to trap 400 monkeys; he paid them half in advance and was to pay the other half upon receipt. The trappers sold the monkeys to someone in Los Angeles or Miami, and Herzog came to the airport just as the monkeys were being loaded to be shipped out of the country. He pretended to be a veterinarian and claimed that the monkeys needed vaccinations before leaving the country. Abashedly, the handlers unloaded the monkeys, and Herzog loaded them into his jeep and drove away, used them in the shot they were required for, and released them afterwards into the jungle.

[Thorgal]

Not a very historically accurate film. In the real history, Aguirre´s expedition managed to cross the amazon forest, arriving to the Atlantic coast where the was finally cornered and killed, the real Aguirre´s crimes were also much worse and numerous (for instance it was Aguirre himself who killed his own daughter not the indigenous) and the expedition was much larger and important than the one in the film. They even sacked some cities. However many of the lines in the film are copied from the letters written by Aguirre and i think that the whole film captures well Aguirre´s personality, who called himself "the great traitor" and was known as "Aguirre the mad".

A not very nice guy in any case, to the point that he is still well remembered in the popular culture and superstitions from some Venezuelan rural zones, where he is known as "the tyrant". The ignis fatuus in the swamps are believed to be the ghosts of Aguirre´s men dead there; In Tocuyo, a Venezuelan city, his death is celebrated with a procesion every October 27; And in Peruvian jungle there is a waterfall called Aguirre's Jump, where being at risk of death he engraved on a rock some mysterious symbols which are believed to be of devilish nature. So it is mandatory for the inhabitants of the zone to make the sign of the cross in front of these symbols.

All in all a great movie (maybe with one of the best beginings and one of the best endings ever), great music by Popol Vuh, great landscapes, great performance by Kinski (better see it in German). One of my favorite films, as you can see in my signature.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Kinski very nearly killed another actor on-camera. He got a bit carried away while wading in with his sword, and hacked clean through the bloke's steel helmet.

Great actor, but what a nutter. His autobiography beggars belief.

[Blaupanzer]

Excellent movie, a believable madman, great opening, great closing. Helps a lot to know something of the real story as the middle is a bit confusing. Much better in German.