Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes
One of Werner Herzog’s finest works, in which the conquistador Aguirre, surrounded by the lush Peruvian jungle, slowly loses his mind.
South America, 16th Century. Spanish explorer Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) leads an expedition down the Amazon river to find the fabled city of El Dorado. Beset on all sides by the whims of an inscrutable ecosystem and unfriendly natives, the journey will turn out to be a treacherous one. Just as big an enemy, however, are the soldiers themselves. The most problematic of them all is Aguirre, who, as his surroundings turn increasingly violent, gradually starts to lose his grip on reality.
Iconic director Werner Herzog is a fool and a hero at the same time. In his films he focuses on similar characters. They are people who, under unnerving circumstances, explore places that are actually not meant for humans. They travel to the end of the earth, all the while unafraid to fall over the edge. In the eyes, and films, of Werner Herzog, nature is indifferent. As a result, humankind seems all the more null and defenceless. (wg)