Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

You are rafting down a South American river surrounded by hordes of cannibals and otherwise menacing natives. Impenetrable jungles brush conceals these threatening warriors; you can't see them, but you know that they are out there waiting... waiting for the chance to hit you squarely in the jugular with a poisoned dart, or pierce your skull with a lightning quick arrow. Don't bother hiding, you're in the middle of a river on a flat-bottomed raft. Don't bother running, leaving the "safety" of the raft and heading into the jungle would mean certain death. Adding to your troubles is the fact that you are a 16th Century Spanish soldier thousands of miles away from your homeland and the benefits of Western civilization. As a topper, you're not just any Spaniard... you have the misfortune of being a soldier under the command of an insane, power-thirsty, Citizen Kane of a conquistador. To try to desert him would be a death sentence, if not from the camouflaged cannibals ashore, then certainly from his deadly blade. I hope you aren't claustrophobic because you are stuck in a trap, within a trap, within a trap.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1971-72) is a hypnotic film about a side-expedition gone wrong. In 1561, Gonzalo Pizarro sent out a small group of Spaniards and Indian guides to find the fabled gold city of El Dorado - of course, they never returned. What ever happened to them? We, the audience, are voluntary members of this expeditionary side-party, signing up to drift through the midst of infinite jungle in search of money and power on a deteriorating wooden river raft. Unfortunately for our not-so-lovable Spaniard comrades (although admittedly fortunate for us the viewers), the jungle trek is treacherous and maddening, and what we soon realize is that the river doesn't lead to El Dorado, instead it leads to insanity and death.

New German Cinema director Werner Herzog secured his place at the head of the "movement" (if you can call it that) with this amazing tale of human nature, madness, and alienation. In his direction, Herzog manages to spontaneously work nature's unpredictable elements into the screenplay, exert his uncanny and bizarre actor-control skills, and hypnotize his viewers, taking the audience along for the characters' physical and mental trek into jungle oblivion. We are on that raft with the Spaniards. We are being threatened by the unseen forces of the Peruvian jungle. We are driven to madness by fever-dreams of power in our stark, powerless situation.

The themes of this film are so familiarly Herzog that it'd be a waste of words to go over them - but, I must. Mainly, Herzog continues the theme of alienation-induced mental fallout which he first unveiled in his 1968 feature length debut, Signs of Life. Familiar it may be, but the birthplace of madness in Aguirre is perceived in a slightly different light than in some of his other works. Contrary to madness viewed as a disease or plague (rats) in Nosferatu: The Vampyre (1979) and others like it, Aguirre pins insanity on the human civilization versus nature struggle. This view, framed by the monkey infestation of the raft, continues at a later period in Herzog's career with his most infamous production, Fitzcarraldo (1982). The best thing about thematic insanity in Herzog's works is that he exposes his audience to the same madness attacking the characters. If you sit back and let Aguirre take control of your eyes and mind, you feel Herzog buzzing around your sanity, pushing your psyche this way and that.

Another familiar (albeit, less explored) theme of Aguirre: The Wrath of God is femininity's supremacy over masculinity. We see the two women characters maintain their dignity and posture while the men fall apart. In a scene that Herzog himself reproduced many times and Chicago director Michael Mann paid homage to with Last of the Mohicans, one of the women decides that she'd rather succumb to the jungle's unseen forces than stay in the company of ill-minded, barbarous men. Thus, Herzog wants to show how women rise above circumstance and stand their ground far more tenaciously than the opposite sex.

We are also shown a layer of smaller, less important themes: Third World politics, social order, class warfare, the list goes on and on. The unique drawing factor of Herzog's Aguirre is that you can spout off for hours, "it means *insert obscurity*" or "it means *insert yet another obscure theme*" - yet, it all works. If I were to list ten films that couldn't possibly be over-analyzed, this one would certainly be among them. Why? Because Herzog gives us an infinite number of broad thematic outlines that provide an opportunity for unlimited high-minded critique; yet, they are so obscure that you can (and often will) pass over them without missing a beat. Aguirre, in this sense, serves as a breeding ground of cogitation.

How dare I review Aguirre: The Wrath of God without writing about Klaus Kinski, the infamous actor in the title role? Obviously, Kinski playing a madman is just as authentic as casting Jeffrey Dahmer in the role of a cannibalistic psychopath. Put quite simply for those who don't know: Klaus Kinski was insane in real-life. There are tons of stories about Kinski doing crazy things like shooting off people's fingers in fits of rage, plotting to murder his friends and family, rejecting jobs with such prestigious filmmakers as Fellini, Penn, and Cavaini just for the sake of saying that he did, writing an entirely fictional autobiography... the list goes on and on. Insane he was, nonetheless, the man was a genius and his talent shines through in Aguirre just as brightly as in any of his other films. Herzog knew how to harness the beast.

The final point that I want to leave you with is that this film is both ageless and accessible. Aguirre is ageless in the sense that every element of this film, especially when viewing it on DVD, looks as though it was released in the theaters last year. From the ethereal soundtrack, to the special effects, nothing has dated one tiny bit. Aguirre is accessible with the fact that both cinematic-simpletons and high-minded critics (and everyone in between) can find it an enjoyable and worthy experience. You can spout off for hours about the importance of the dignity-martyr's golden gown, or you can simply reflect in the span of two seconds, "dude, that beheading scene was wicked!" The appeal is there.

Let Herzog take control of you. Allow yourself to become a 16th Century Spaniard trapped on a Peruvian river. Don't question it, just go with the flow. If you do all this, you won't be disappointed! Granted, I can't guarantee that you will enjoy it as much as I do, but hey, it'll be a worthwhile experience.

Wow! I just completed a review about madness and alienation on a jungle river raft without mentioning the upcoming theatrical release of Apocalypse Now: Director's Cut with fifty-three additional minutes!

NOTE: The DVD version comes with full director commentary by Herzog (in English). It is, perhaps, the funniest commentary I have ever heard, and if I could, I would review that special feature alone with five stars. Kinski stories, on-location shooting stories, technical and artistic viewpoints, etc. - it's all in there! A must-buy for Herzog fans, even if they already own a VHS copy.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older