Film Friday: Aguirre, The Wrath of God

There are lots of directors in the film industry. Some, like Tommy Wiseau, can leave lasting impressions on their audiences with their idiosyncrasies. Others like Lucas and Spielberg can weave beautiful stories that will create big Hollywood blockbusters.  Still others like Michael Bay, prefer to use lots of explosions.  However, there is one director in particular that I really like: Werner Herzog.  What endears Herzog to me are two things in particular, first,  his charming personality and wonderful intellect and second, Aguirre, The Wrath of God. 

Aguirre, The Wrath of God, is easily one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is a German film that tells the tale of Spanish conquistadors traveling through South America in search of the legendary city of El Dorado.  As they travel, one officer named Aguirre, played by the ever unstable actor Klaus Kinski, begins to stage a coup manipulating the others into staging a trial and letting greed drive them ever further into the wild and unforgiving rainforest.   Their quest is a hopeless one, but Aguirre is obsessed not with gold, rather with power and glory.  

Towards the end of the film Aguirre starts to become less like the Spanish conquistador he was in the beginning and a lot more like the American professional wrestler known as The Ultimate Warrior.

Exhibit A: In my final meeting with Gods from the heavens above , as they spoke to me with the power of the Ultimate Warrior and told me..." "Exit Stage Left , Exit Stage Right , there is no place to run , all the fuses in the exit signs have been burned out!"-Ultimate Warrior

Exhibit B: I am the great traitor. There must be no other. Anyone who even thinks about deserting this mission will be cut up into 198 pieces. Those pieces will be stamped on until what is left can be used only to paint walls. Whoever takes one grain of corn or one drop of water... more than his ration, will be locked up for 155 years. If I, Aguirre, want the birds to drop dead from the trees... then the birds will drop dead from the trees. I am the wrath of god. The earth I pass will see me and tremble. But whoever follows me and the river, will win untold riches. But whoever deserts...-Aguirre

All in all, there's a lot of random pan flute playing, a pretty cool soundtrack, and some fantastic performances. This movie really surprised me so I'm going to give it....

5 out of 5 pan flutes.