A film that is
considered one of the ten greatest of all time
by Pulitzer Prize winning film critic, Roger
Ebert.
From
the opening shot of a thousand men descending a
mountain, in single file, ominously weighed down
by a heavy fog, to the closing 360 degree sweep
around the devastated raft of Don Lope de
Aguirre, this film is packed with images that
are impossible to forget. This film is concerned
with the oppressive nature of the world and the
struggle of humanity, in the face of
insurmountable odds, to chase after their
illusive dreams. Aguirre leads his troop down
the Amazon river to inevitable doom, full of
arrogance and wrath. It is impossible to take
your eyes off Klaus Kinski, who embodies the
tyrant and is a mirror to the indomitable human
spirit. This film is about the grander scheme of
the world and how it works against us if we are
greedy and overly ambitious. With gorgeous
cinematography, a poetic grandeur, and in spite
of a deliberately slow pace, this film is a
celluloid fable that is impossible to forget.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
In one of our
discussion groups, TC refers to this film as
"deep image poetry." That is profoundly
accurate. I fancy myself a rather huge Herzog
fan, but I also find he leans towards excessive
imagery at times. He also tends to think he's
making a much more important point than he
really is making. Klaus Kinski is, indeed,
hypnotic here and I would watch this film again
for him alone. Yet, in reality, this is not a
film I've ever felt the need to watch after my
first viewing. This is incredibly rare for me,
as I have a definite appreciation for "deep
image poetry" and films of magnificent
cinematography. This film is quietly grand...not
perfect, but a film I'd strongly recommend for
one viewing.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
