Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1973)

Review:

Werner Herzog’s “Aguirre: The Wrath of God” is what “Waiting for Godot” would be, if that play were an epic. And what a minimalist epic this film is. The story is simple and evokes a terrifying message: what we seek, we will not find and where we seek shall inevitably lead to our demise. It’s a grim forecast but when seen through the eyes of Werner Herzog there is a certain awe that eventually transcends the dread.

In the late 16th century, an expedition of Spanish Conquistadors sets out into the wilderness of Peru and Brazil to discover the fabled city of gold, El Dorado. The doomed mission is led by Gonzalo Pizarro. When the army encounters innumerable complications from traversing the jungle, Pizarro decides to send 40 of his men down the Amazon River on raft to further explore for the golden city’s whereabouts.

This rafting expedition is led by Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra) with Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) as second in command. Though he does not say much at first, the malignant stare of Aguirre informs the audience that there is something not right with this man. Perhaps the jungle has pushed him too far or maybe he’s purely a megalomaniac, but really, this speculation is irrelevant Part of the effect of “Aguirre: The Wrath of God” is the utter lack of explanation for everything. Herzog does not waste our time by trying to explain away the motivations of Aguirre or the terrors of the Amazon.

After some disastrous days on the river, Ursua decides he will turn the mission around and the remaining soldiers will march back to Pizarro. But Aguirre, unable to accept defeat when El Dorado may be at hand, quickly devises a haphazard mutiny and overthrows Ursua. Not sure he has the men’s loyalty, Aguirre puts Don Fernando de Guzman in charge. He’s a bumbling and gluttonous conquistador, not long for this movie.

From this point on the story begins a rapid descent into madness. Life on the raft becomes a mock-imitation of civilized life. As they proceed further down river, lurking natives shoot arrows from the banks, sickness envelopes the crew, and Aguirre keeps insisting on pressing forward.

“Aguirre: The Wrath of God” is maybe two steps away from becoming a farce. There is something utterly absurd about seeing hundreds of men trek through impenetrable wilderness with metal helmets and armor. One of the great symbols in the film is the conquistador cannon, which they bring on the raft. This cannon is heavy and predisposed to rust when exposed to water and yet the conquistadors never once think of abandoning it. When surrounded by the immensity of the jungle the cannon is a last consolation, an absurd reminder of the power of the Spanish army. It allows the doomed soldiers to believe they still wield some power, even in this hostile terrain. But no cannon or horse or slave or man would save this crew.

We know Aguirre’s expedition is doomed from the start because we know there is no El Dorado. And yet, is this not a grand (albeit bleak) metaphor for human existence? The search for the unknowable and finding only nature’s wrath?

Rating:

On a scale of one to Casablanca this film is a “The Birds” (1963).

Rationalization:

Nature needs no explanation for its crimes. In a Herzog film nature is as indifferent as God in a Bergman film; it is omnipresent and silent and consuming. The only ones who dare defy the jungle are the mad crusaders like Aguirre who attempt to rival nature with their brutality. Klaus Kinski deserves praise for his portrayal of Aguirre. There is not a moment of stereotypical Hollywood madness in his performance. He broods instead of rants and only his eyes become portals into the depths of his insanity. I’d go so far as to say his madness, while quite noticeable, is generally understated. And how could it not be when in the face of the Amazon? “Aguirre: The Wrath of God” is a beautiful film that will haunt you a hundred times over before it inspires you to explore the Amazon.