SHOP AGUIRRE...
Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.fr
IMDb > Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) > IMDb user comments
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes
[Add to My Movies]
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosreparto y equipo completostrivialidadesofficial sitesfrases célebres
Overview
información principalinformación combinadareparto y equipo completoscréditos de compañíastv schedule
Premios y críticas
comentarios de los usuarioscríticas externascríticas de grupos de usuariosawardsCalificacionesparents guiderecomendacionesmessage board
Argumento y citas
argumentoplot synopsispalabras clave del argumentosinopsis Amazon.comfrases célebres
Cosas divertidas
trivialidadespifiastemas musicalescréditos extravagantesotras versionesenlaces entre películaspreguntas frecuentes
Otro tipo de información
enlaces a productosbox office/businessfechas de estrenolugares de rodajeespecificaciones técnicasLaserdiscDVDlecturas relacionadasnews articles
Material promocional
frases comercialestrailers and videoscarteles y enlacesphoto gallery
Enlaces externos
enlaces a cinesofficial sitesmisceláneosfotografíassound clipsvideo clips

IMDb user comments for
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)

advertisement
Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Page 1 of 13:[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [Next]
Index 126 comments in total 

47 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
Aguirre's vision. Aguirre's obsession. Aguirre's downfall......The wrath in 'Human Nature', 13 junio 2005
10/10
Author: Freddy Levit de Melbourne, Australia

Klaus Kinski's enigmatic and frightening portrayal of man's obsession in Werner Herzog's nightmare masterpiece Aguirre: The Wrath Of God is a German film that is as powerful today as it was when released back in 1972. Kinski and Herzog's absolute real life hate for one another only makes the film more real in its depiction of a man driven to the edge of sanity as his obsession for a mythical treasure - so obsessed that he sacrifices all that is precious to him in finding it. Like the 'Mosquito Coast', an almost identical film, it concentrates on the human condition, in how far 'man' can go in his quest of becoming God. Werner Herzog, who's persistence in Klaus Kinski to star in most of his films, is a master storyteller and one great director, famous for other films starring Kinski including "Fitzcarraldo" and "Woyzeck". "Aguirre: The Wrath Of God", however, is his and Klaus Kinski's most famous and one of the most powerful films of all time.

Entirely a true story, set in the 1600s, following the annihilation of the Incas Empire, when the Spanish Conquistadors explored and roamed most of South America, a legendary expedition set out in Peru into the Amazon River to locate the mythical City Of Gold, El Dorado. Pizarro, the leader of the expedition comes to the point where he must turn and head back to civilization, following a long and tormenting journey that ultimately led them to nowhere. Fearing they'll get lost in the uncharted jungles of the Amazon, he sends a smaller group to complete the journey and commands them to return within a few days if no Gold is found. It is only a matter of time before this group faces unbearable difficulties down the Amazon River. Fearing the leader of their new group might turn back to prevent any more men being killed, Don Lope de Aguirre (Kinski) inspires a mutiny and manipulates the men in believing that with the riches they would find they wouldn't need to go home. They must battle with the native enemy they can't see and walk through the most difficult terrain on a most terrifying quest. What follows is a devastating character study of human nature and how one's obsession can destroy him and everything that really matters.

This film comes as a rarity in our world gone mad - a world controlled by greedy, obsessed and powerful dehumanized people. Klaus Kinski was one of the world's most profound and versatile actors. His rough, striking and villainous exterior gave him an almighty presence. He creates such a vividly obsessed and evil character in the film, you are easily convinced he is for real. I believe his abhorrence for Werner Herzog assisted him in his performance. Never during filming did they ever share ideas, always opposing and showing one's hatred for one another, which leaves people questioning their constant repairing. But Werner Herzog makes no mistake when casting Kinski in his films. Kinski drives the film, sometimes completely on his own. Werner Herzog's films are always extremely deep, philosophical and mythical. The cinematography is consistently breathtaking and never fails to transport you to the world Herzog intends to take you. And music perfectly paints the picture of human degradation, with its slow, subtle and haunting tone. It sticks in your head long after the conclusion and adds immensely to the the power of the film.

'Aguirre: The Wrath Of God', much like 'The Mosquito Coast', is one of the most poignant character studies in film history. It is in German with subtitles, but you are bound to forget they are there, as this epic film will take you to the vast and dehumanizing Amazon on an adventurous journey you will never forget. See this for the adventure if not for the underlining depth. It is a master work from a unique artist that is Werner Herzog and made a classic by the colossal Klaus Kinski. A beautiful and haunting experience that is not to be missed.

Was the above comment useful to you?

40 out of 47 people found the following comment useful :-
Brilliant, beautiful and desperately disturbing, 12 septiembre 2005
10/10
Author: mstomaso de Vulcan

Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski's masterful achievement - Aguirre: The Wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes) is a rich and powerful film set deep in the the South American rain forest. Ostensibly a piece of historical fiction based on fragmentary evidence concerning one of the many ill-fated attempts to find and conquer the mythic El Dorado (a city of gold rumored to be anywhere from southern Canada to Patagonia), Aguirre operates on so many levels and reflects so many aspects of its story that it is difficult to convey precisely what the film is really about. It is too fictionalized (yet plausible) to fit comfortably in the "historical fiction" shoebox; the dialog is as much a presentistic bit of reflexive thinking as it is fitting for the historical context of the film; and the setting is so breathtaking that without a plot and without the brilliant concept and fantastic acting, the film would still be breathtaking and painful.

The opening scene, which very slowly depicts a caravan of Spanish soldiers, African and South American Indian slaves, burros, horses, cannons, and provisions making their way down a steep mountain path surrounded by miles of rain forest, is breathtaking and ominous, and sets not just the tone, but the pace of the film. Many people will find the pace a little too slow to handle. After a few minutes of struggle, the nobleman leader of the expedition throws in, and appoints a small number of participants to go forward into the jungle. Of these, only Lope Del Aguirre, a career soldier with vast ruthless ambition, and Ursua, a more gentle nobleman, are really leadership material. As the party floats down-river on rafts, it rapidly becomes clear by whose will the party continues on, and who will emerge as its sole leader in the end.

Herzog develops some of his usual themes in this film, and does so with poignancy and cinematography nothing short of beauty. The film is about power, madness, religion, oppression, nature, and culture, but certainly does not stop there. This is film as high art. Brilliantly executed, multi-faceted, moving, and as ambiguous as real life so often is.

This is also one of the great actor Klaus Kinski's most profound and appealing roles. Though Kinski was later typecast in mad, or at least eccentric, roles, as Aguirre he is able to show his range very effectively - because the character varies from a cold, brooding, Machiavellian rationalism to an obsessive sociopathic suicidalism. The rest of the cast rises to the challenge and acts right at Kinski's level, making this film one of the best actors/production team collaborations I have ever seen.

This film is definitely not for everybody, it is a long, slow sip of delicious and yet bitter wine which the typical movie-goer will only appreciate when 'in the mood' for something which requires thought and energy to watch. It is also one of my favorite films of all time.

Was the above comment useful to you?

40 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
Director Herzog is not a cheerleader for humans., 31 agosto 2004
Author: (futures@exis.net) de Ronn Ives/FUTURES Antiques, Norfolk, VA.



"Aguirre, the Wrath of God": Werner Herzog is one of my all-time favorite film makers, and this is one of my favorite films by him. Actually taken from the diary of the priest who accompanied Pizarro's expedition in 1560, Herzog recreates the pretentious and self-deluded search for the "Lost City of Gold - Eldorado".

Herzog likes true stories...ones that are bizarre in their own right, but with his direction and personal vision, they become profound (and never optimistic). The camera work is always interesting (he single-handedly "patented" camera shots that don't sweep - they ("you") stare and stare - and stare - at a thing or person or place until it becomes abstract, intense, beautiful, threatening, profound), the scoring is always appropriate yet never expected, and his casting, often using the unique talents of the late Klaus Kinski, guarantee nothing less than an intense experience...even in a film like "Aguirre", which SLOWLY claws and slogs it's way along each and every slippery, dangerous, foreign mile of jungle.

It is clear Herzog 'focuses' on the ridiculously high beliefs humans create for and hold of themselves - that they could actually "own" anything, "conquer" anything, outwit that which they do not understand, and by sheer Will cause anything they deem important, to exist. Herzog is NOT a cheerleader for the history of humans, but he is a ponderer... and we are fortunate he does it on film.

Was the above comment useful to you?

34 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
'We will stage history, the same way as other men stage plays.', 14 junio 2004
10/10
Author: wshelley de United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This proclamation comes from Don Lope de Aguirre, sailing aboard a lifeless raft, drifting aimlessly down the interminable run leading to the fabled city of El Dorado. This quote is a perfect representation of the mindset of Aguirre, 'The Wrath of God'. He is consumed within his unrelenting determination to satisfy his deepest desires of avarice, supremacy, and grandeur. His obsessions slowly begin to affect his judgment, and his passion enthusiastically blinds his perception of reality, blurring the distinct line between actuality and fabled illusion. Aguirre becomes firmly intent on conquering all of South America, of breaking away from the Spanish crown and beginning a new world securely under his unconditional domination.

Aguirre becomes capable of garnering support among his men through promises of unimaginable riches, impenetrable authority and security, and perhaps most importantly, with the promise of a glorious adventure into the heart of the unfamiliar. However, it must be understood that Aguirre was able to initially succeed in his plans due to the willingness and complicity of the men under his control. The absence of dissension was due not only to fear of the potential consequences, but was also a result of the general attitude of the available men. The promises of the power of greed were compelling enough to create strict uniformity and acquiescence to the selfish goals of Aguirre. The story of Herzog's film is as old as the history of Western civilization itself. One infatuated madman becomes able to rally the spirit of a foolish herd behind him through the false promises of unrestricted glory, indestructible power, and incomprehensible wealth. Of course, the second part of Herzog's film is also the most common, recognizable conclusion to such a familiar story. All authority must cease eventually, as nothing built on the foundations of deception and falsity can stand forever. It is through this identifiable situation that Herzog is able to illustrate the fragility and insanity of such wild quests for power. All men maintain the same illusions of grandeur and magnificence, however the attempted acquisition of such desires can often result in tragic consequences, as is made evident in Aguirre's most logical conclusion.

What are the tragic consequences of Aguirre's pursuit of the unattainable? The most obvious response to this question would be the loss of his only daughter, his sole reason for being and continuance in the face of adversity. His quest for power is not only a self-satisfying attempt to escape the dreadful monotony of mortality, but it is also meant to bring veneration, allegiance and complicit submission to the forthcoming generations of his family line. The death of his daughter is the signification of the death of Aguirre's unforeseen future, and the cessation of his greatest hopes and aspirations. The tragic separation between a father and his daughter is a universally empathized situation, and Herzog does well to incorporate this moment of indeterminable significance into his film's climactic infusion of incalculable remorse and impending self-destruction. However, despite the realization that his journey has ended in complete failure, Aguirre remains entrapped within his ideological pursuits. He refuses to accept his defeat, and remains steadfastly determined to conquer all that surrounds him. Even the death of his own daughter is not enough to shake the madman from the foundations of his deepest latent fixations, made manifest through the complete destruction and manipulation of his encompassing environment. Aguirre continues to outwardly express his darkest desires, failing to identify his complete isolation and withdrawal from reality. Even when there is nobody to share his inane ramblings with, Aguirre remains absorbed within his delusions. His slow descent into madness comes full circle at the film's conclusion, as Aguirre remains the sole survivor aboard the aforementioned direction less raft, sailing toward some unmistakably predetermined termination. The film's ending is illustrative of the typical conclusion of the typical madman's expedition. There is nobody left for Aguirre to command or abuse, to consult with or confide in, to inspire or to befriend. This is because Aguirre failed to grasp the inevitable futility of his situation, and the enigmatic insanity with which he conducted his operation.

Herzog's conclusion is not quite as clear and decisive as some would leave you to believe. Certainly, Aguirre has lost his source of power, his meaning for continuation, and his sanity in the process. However, he is still alive, and he has not learned anything from his experience; he is just as stubbornly determined as when his exploration began. Perhaps this can be viewed as a not so subtle commentary on the inability of selfishly driven men to realize the folly of their ways, and to seek forgiveness from those that they have harmed in the process. Or perhaps Herzog is suggesting that men like Aguirre will always survive the repercussions of the materialization of their own insane aspirations, and it is only the sheep that will suffer the consequences from compliance and strict obedience. Or perhaps the survival of Aguirre is an illustration of the indestructible perpetuation of human greed, cruelty, and irrationality. With men like Aguirre readily available in the world, it is only plausible that such failed expeditions will be tried again. Logic that 'The Wrath of God' himself employs as justification for the continuance of his adventure in the face of overwhelming odds. Whatever Herzog's implications in the final scenes suggest, it is only certain that Aguirre's stubbornness resulted in a path of unnecessary obsessive destructiveness; An obsession that destroyed all hope for the future, and made a mockery of the past.

Was the above comment useful to you?

20 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Herzog's masterpiece, 14 noviembre 2001
Author: cinemadaz de Tucson

AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (1972) Spaniards in search of El Dorado descend down an intense mountain peak with barely a path on it. Men slosh through a wet jungle forest with cannibals, dragging horses, cannons and women on thrones with them. Rafts try to navigate harsh rapids with no end in sight, sending one of them into a whirlpool. This is the first ten minutes. And it is probably easier than what it took to make the film.

Werner Herzog's masterpiece follows Klaus Kinski as a conquistador leading a group of men through his personal madness in Peru, searching for the mythical city of gold. Kinski wasn't an actor, he was a time-traveller, and his performances for Herzog are his best. My favorite scene of all his work is in this film early-on: as the huge group of slaves struggle and burn their souls carrying a woman on a throne-chair against the unforgiving jungle mud and trees, Kinski suddenly appears in the middle to offer a helping hand. He writhes and morphs, grabbing the slaves and shoving them, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Fools!!! The sedan chair is stuck!"

AGUIRRE is what got Herzog noticed around the world as part of a new group of German filmmakers along with Fassbinder and Wenders. His previous film was EVEN DWARVES STARTED SMALL, which resulted in Kinski calling him, "A mere dwarf director." The battles between he and Kinski should be legendary by now. The final result in Herzog stating he will grab his gun and kill both himself and Kinski as the actor was threatening to leave the production. Kinski was convinced and finished the film.

This story and more is part of the excellent analog track by Herzog, covering all of the hardcore production that overwhelms the more famous Coppola problems making Apocalypse Now. Herzog didn't have millions of dollars, rather 300 grand, had to live on the rafts for months and deal with the jungle and Kinski. But he never bitches - you do what you have to do, and the film is never compromised, from the costumes, the beautiful real locations and the boat hanging in the tree to the eerie group of small monkeys at the end (which Herzog had to steal, even though he paid for them). The analog track is constant (many now seem to take pauses to watch the film) with background on the idea, actors, filming and philosophies. Yes, that is a real mummy in the cannibal camp, for which Herzog's brother had to buy a passenger ticket for the plane ride over.

The DVD is another fantastic release giving the nice treatment to a title that can't be making them millionaires. The image looks great and is not letterboxed, so I assume that that is how Herzog prefers it. The three trailers didn't add much to the presentation, but that's a minor point. When they are finished with the entire Herzog collection, it will be one of the most fascinating career studies on DVD.

Was the above comment useful to you?

14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Incredibly intense film, 23 octubre 2006
10/10
Author: Camera Obscura de Leiden, The Dutch Mountains

AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (Werner Herzog - West Germany 1972).

Herzog is one my favorite directors, whose daring and unconventional approach in film-making is something very few filmmakers can match. Due to the incredible hardships while filming on location in the Amazonian jungle, the myth surrounding AGUIRRE has almost outgrown the virtues of the film itself and over the years it has become an almost integral part when (re)viewing this film, even more so since Herzog's documentary MY BEST FIEND (1999) was released about his relationship with "best enemy" and star in many of his films, Klaus Kinski. Especially over the last ten years, AGUIRRE has achieved an almost infallible reputation, by the general public and critics alike.

This mesmerizing exploration of human obsession is based on the diaries of Gaspar de Varvajal, a monk who accompanied Gonzalez Pizarro (half-brother of the brutal conqueror of the Incas) and died during the expedition. The film chronicles Pizarro's 1560 Peruvian expedition in search of the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. When the expedition is faltering by the difficult terrain, Pizarro decides to send a small party ahead to determine if exploration should continue. Though Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra) is put in charge, he is soon challenged by the ambitious fanatical Aguirre (Klaus Kinski), who against all odds wants the journey to continue, with catastrophic consequences.

One of the key elements in Herzog's work is the use of landscape and the natural surroundings. The Amazonian jungle is the key third dimension in the film and really is a green hell, threatening and unforgiven. There's no romanticism in Herzog's view of nature. The continuing sounds of the running water and the birds are just as important for the story and the despair of Aguirre's men as the ambient electronic soundtrack by the German ensemble Popol Vuh. They were mixing a sort choral chants with electronic samples and organ music, very modern and very German pioneers in electronic music. To me it is simply astonishing Herzog decided to use their completely off-the-hook very modern music (in 1971!) in a film about 16th century Spanish explorers shot on location in the Amazon and somehow it works wonderfully, a perfect blend of image and sound. I cannot identify a very important element of the "natural soundtrack". What's the name of the bird that produces this whistling shriek, that is heard almost continuously in the background and is one of the most recognizable sounds of Neo-tropical rain forests? A Quetzal? I'm not sure. It bugs me a little that I can't remember. I'll have to look it up.

Klaus Kinski's performance is perfectly suiting Aguirre's descent into madness, eerily resemblant to Kinski's own Mad Kraut persona and well-published rampant behavior on the set and his misconduct in general actually. I was watching the film for the first time with audio commentary by Herzog and he revealed many things I never heard before. One of the strangest anecdotes is not really about the film itself but is, well..truly one of the most bizarre things I ever heard.

Before the shooting started, Herzog and his crew were boarding for the plane that would bring them from Lima to Cuzco when the airplane had some technical problems. Since the airline company in question already had two or three serious accidents not long before, they decided to wait and take the next plane. Repaired or not, the plane left off anyway and crashed in the Amazonian jungle with the only survivor a young German woman, Juliane Koepcke. After weeks she finally reached a remote Indian village, malnourished, an almost fatal larval infection, close to death. Later Herzog would make a documentary about this, JULIANES STURZ IN DEN DSCHUNGEL (English title: Wings of Hope) (2000). Besides the already astonishing, many times near-fatal accidents and Kinski's impossible madman behavior, this film seemed doomed from the start, like an old curse from the Incas.

For those less familiar with Herzog's work, FITZCARRALDO (1982), also by Herzog and shot under equally horrendous conditions in the Peruvian jungle, would make a good companion piece. For Herzog's relationship with Kinski there is the interesting documentary MEIN LIEBSTER FEIND (My best fiend) (1999).

Camera Obscura --- 10/10

Was the above comment useful to you?

11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
The Purest Imagining of Madness on Celluloid?, 27 marzo 2006
10/10
Author: The_Hamster_Factor de United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

'Aguirre: The Wrath of God' is one of those films I keep revisiting time after time, never has there been such a potent representation of madness committed to celluloid. What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said over the past 30 or so years? What can I, as a reviewer, add to this? The challenge in writing a review of 'Aguirre: The Wrath of God' is finding something that is wrong with the film. How can I sit down and find anything wrong with this film when it is such a perfect entity? Let's begin with the madness - 'Aguirre: The Wrath of God' is an entirely fictional account of the last expedition of Lupe de Aguirre, a paranoid, megalomanical Spanish conquistador who - with hundreds of his own men as well as a hundred more natives - follow the path of the Amazon River in search of the mythical city of El Dorado, the City of Gold. Critically, the film could be based around two things, 1. The accounts of Gaspar de Carvajal, a Spanish missionary during his expedition to South America, or 2. 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad. The 'Heart of Darkness' comparison is evident in that the film mocks colonialism and, as with the book, the main protagonists fall mentally unstable as they journey further down the river. A direct comparison to this film could be found, somewhat, in 'Apocalypse Now', which takes directly from 'Heart of Darkness' but is also heavily influenced by 'Aguirre: The Wrath of God' as it shows one man's descent into madness as he goes further into the jungle.

The film opens with a beautiful, if not haunting image of a group of men descending down a mountain face, as well as having an eerie soundtrack provided by Popol Vuh, and thus ensues 2 hours of a man's descent into the jungle as well as a man's descent into complete madness. As a mere sergeant major in the expedition, to his peers, he was nothing more than a fly, small in rank-comparison to his generals. As the story progresses, Aguirre becomes more and more paranoid and instigates a plot in which his main general is hanged. The film starts with nearly 200 men but as the story progresses we are left with only a few on a raft, drifting down the river. Why only few remain isn't entirely clear but we are given the impression that, as the film progresses, more and more of these men drop to the floor dead simply by having tiny little darts shot at them from the brush by the natives (whom we rarely see), and yet we very seldom see these men die, we only see 200 men and then we see 100 men and then we see 30 men, and then we see 10 men, as well as two women, one of which is the wife of the general who is hanged (shortly after, she joins him by simply walking into the brush and we never see her again), and the other being the daughter of Aguirre.

During the final climactic scenes, Aguirre sees that all of his men are dead, and his daughter has been hit by a series of arrows, leaving only him alive. As the final scenes come to an end, Aguirre announces his plans to conquer South America and wipe out all the existing Spanish forces, and conceive a pure race of people with his daughter as his wife and mother to the presumed 'pure race'. He announces this, completely oblivious to the fact that he has no men to conquer South America as they are all dead, he has no way of getting off the river as his raft is falling to pieces, his daughter (and his intended wife and mother of his children) is dead, and the only creatures listening to him are a group of about 40 tiny monkeys.

As I said, complete madness, and, above all, it's beautiful. No director on the face of this planet can possibly convey so much beauty and yet so much utter chaos as Werner Herzog, and that is why this film is quite possibly one of the greatest ever made. See it taking this review into consideration and your philosophy on film-making will just be turned upside down. Did I also mention that Kinski nearly chopped a guy's head off intentionally?

Was the above comment useful to you?

17 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
**** out of ****, 14 septiembre 2002
9/10
Author: kyle_c de United States

Stunning, dreamlike film documents (in a somewhat documentary style), the story of Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski), who leads a group of Spanish conquistadors into the depths of the jungle in search for El Dorado, the mythical city of gold. Beautiful cinematography and locations place the viewer into the heart of the jungle, where they witness firsthand Aguirre's descent into madness. Continually interesting and exciting, it features some of the greatest images ever committed to film, most notably the opening and closing shots of the movie.

Was the above comment useful to you?

17 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Beautiful Insanity, 27 junio 2001
Author: INFOFREAKO de Perth, Australia

Some movies can be summed up with one perfect scene, performance or even line. Think Warren Oates ranting at the head in the bag in "Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia". Or "Easy Rider"'s 'We blew it'. Or Divine chowing down on a dog turd in "Pink Flamingos". In "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" it's the sight of the hopelessly insane Klaus Kinski floating to oblivion on a raft covered with monkeys. You'll remember it always. This movie takes you where few dare - to beautiful, damned madness. Herzog is a genius (I don't throw around that term lightly) and Kinski (Rutger Hauer from hell?) his best actor. Anything either did is worth checking out, but together they always surpass themselves. "Aguirre" is their greatest collaboration, and one of the most unforgettable films of all time.

Was the above comment useful to you?

22 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
The Women, 9 mayo 2003
Author: tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) de Virginia Beach

This is an amazing experience, becoming more so the further we get from it. When I see 'Apocalypse Now, or even 'Mosquito Coast' I see this. In fact whenever I see both an actor AND a director/writer risking all in a coordinated way, I see this. And when I see a combination of fictional documentary and highly stylized poses, a memory of this glistens.

I highly suggest a periodic refresh-viewing of this film on a big screen, followed of course by 'Fizcarraldo.' with some life-affirming experience in between. In that film, the jungle and river is engaged, animate: here it forms an organic container for fantasies. This is one of the most visual film experiences you will have, but so much of what you take away is what is not seen. Superficially, it is a depiction of madness in a context of religious colonialism, rank exploitation.

But the complexities abound, and the one that captured me this time around was the women. The first scene is the most promising in all filmdom. In addition to its beauty, we get it all in promises; and among the promises is the women. Two senior-level military men are allowed to bring females on an expedition worthy of Bird or Lewis and Clark - this at extreme expense. The obvious reason for the women is as breeders to populate the New Jerusalem of riches and religious conquest.

One woman we understand, an adult mistress to a noble soul. We learn more about her than anyone else save the 'Negro.' She is played by an accomplished actress, and acts. The other woman is a fifteen year old. A daughter, already aware of a forthcoming incestuous dynasty and resigned to a life with her deformed father in a magical future to be obtained only by passing through a barrier of tests. She, like the local Indians, is played by a non-actress, in fact a girl plucked out of a Peruvian high school nearly at random.

The less she does, the more transcendent her presence. We don't see her die, but as she knows she is dying she looks at her father as if to transfer all her energy to the space immediately surrounding him. That space does become filled with fantastic life on the raft and all that surrounds it, creating the sequence that ends the film. That scene perfectly compliments the first, where the people are the river bringing their seed to the promised land. In the last, the seed is released and the river itself carries the offspring of the imagination to the treetops.

Ted's Evaluation -- 4 of 4: Every visually literate person should experience this.

Was the above comment useful to you?


Page 1 of 13:[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [Next]

Add another comment


Related Links

Plot summary Ratings Awards
Newsgroup reviews External reviews Plot keywords
Detalles principales Your user comments Your vote history