Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Summary

“They’re shouting,’meat is floating by.’”

Shout! Factory has recently released Werner Herzog’s classic 1972 film Aguirre, the Wrath of God on 4K UHD. Werner Herzog is a prolific and eccentric filmmaker from Germany. The man is a creative genius and Aguirre is one of his best known films. Shout! Factory has been a friend to Herzog’s work for the last decade or so, having released two box sets of his films alongside individual Blu-rays of Nosferatu, Fitzcarraldo, and Aguirre. I have been a fan of Werner Herzog since I saw Grizzly Man in my senior year of High School, and I actually once cornered him at a documentary festival to have him sign my Shout! Factory box set. Needless to say, I am beyond excited that Shout! Factory has decided to start revisiting his films in 4K. I eagerly sat down last night to watch Aguirre, the Wrath of God in my movie room.

In the sixteenth century, Gonzalo Pizarro leads a group of conquistadors and their captured native slaves into the Amazon rain forest. They drag cannons behind them along with some horses. The terrain is extremely difficult and on New Year’s Eve Pizarro halts his troop. He decides to send forty men to build rafts and move down the river on a scouting expedition. If they do not return within a week, Pizarro will consider the men lost. To head the mission, Pizarro chooses Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra,) with Don Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) as his second in command. Accompanying them is Don Fernando de Guzman (Peter Berling) to represent the Spanish crown, and Brother Gaspar de Carvajal (Del Negro) to bring the word of God to the natives they encounter. Ursula’s mistress Dona Ines (Helena Rojo) and Aguirre’s daughter Flores (Cecilia Rivera) are the only two women brought along on the expedition. As the men move down the river a power conflict arises between Aguirre and Ursua. Aguirre’s ambition will eventually cause a mutinous rebellion against Ursua and any powers that would try to stop Aguirre from seizing what he feels is rightfully his.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God is an accomplishment of a director hellbent on seeing his vision realized. Working under insane conditions, Herzog managed to create something that celebrates the absurd while also reveling in authenticity. Only Herzog would find a way to work in even more difficult conditions than Aguirre on his film Fitzcarraldo, where Herzog had his crew carry a ship through a jungle. During Aguirre, Klaus Kinski famously threatened to quit and Werner Herzog explained that he would kill Kinski and himself if Kinski quit the picture. He was dead serious about this threat. Amazingly they went on to make another four films together. Werner Herzog is different from any other filmmaker. It is probably safe to say that his films are an acquired taste, but I know from experience that when people are exposed to Herzog’s work they can quickly become enchanted. For example, many of my friends that I have shown Grizzly Man absolutely love it. Bad Liutenant: Port of Call New Orleans starred Nicolas Cage and gained Herzog a lot of unsuspecting fans that would possibly not have experienced his work otherwise. Herzog’s film work is so eclectic that there is actually something for everyone. What has not changed since Aguirre, the Wrath of God is Herzog’s tireless energy to explore the world and man’s nature. 

In the commentary Herzog explains that he wrote the script for Aguirre over the course of a weekend while riding in a bus to play soccer with his team. The picture uses aspects of the life of Don Lope de Aguirre and his mutinous search for El Dorado, but the entire voyage is fictionalized aside from a few phrases stolen from a letter Aguirre wrote to King Philip II. The story of the expedition is an excuse for Herzog to explore themes of power and ambition and the madness that can take hold of people in power. The film moves at a measured pace, but that is partially because Herzog aims to take the viewer back hundreds of years. Capturing details of the difficult voyage, the ways in which Spanish settlers actually moved through South America’s harsh terrains, and capturing details of the exotic surroundings themselves is in many ways the purpose of the film. The Spanish explorers faced arduous tasks that took time and effort and posed significant dangers. The same could be said for the film crew and cast of Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Nowhere is this more evident than during the sequences where Herzog’s cast and crew ride through rapids of the muddy Amazon river on wooden rafts. It is exhilarating filmmaking that pushed the limits of all involved. The picture is also extremely beautiful at times. The opening shot of the picture of the men making their way across the Andes Mountains through the clouds is extremely striking. It is an unforgettable shot for those who see the picture. Magical moments occur frequently that other filmmakers would probably fail to document such as a scene where Aguirre picks up and examines a baby sloth. These small moments of documentary style realism connect the viewer to the world that Herzog creates for the viewer. An interesting synth score by Popol Vuh accentuates the otherworldly aspects of the film. It is a great choice for the picture. That music largely disappears by the second half of the film as native pipe music is played occasionally by characters onscreen.

The only criticism that I can understand being leveled at the film would be that the picture comes to a finish that some would feel is unresolved. While it would have been satisfying to see what final fate awaited some of the characters, I would say it is safe to guess that they never made their way to El Dorado. I actually thought that the finale worked well, but I had seen this criticism repeatedly elsewhere. At the end of the day, that portion of the story must have seemed less interesting to Herzog, and the man simply plays by his own rules.

The seething performance by Klaus Kinski as the mutinous Don Lope de Aguirre is wonderful. Out of a career of memorable performances, this ranks as one of his best. Herzog reportedly would enrage Kinski before every take in order to draw out a performance of quiet rage. It works brilliantly. Ruy Guerra does well as Don Pedro de Ursua, and Helena Rojo is memorable as Inez de Atienza. I also enjoyed Del Negro as Brother Gaspar de Carvajal. Herzog pushed all of his actors to the brink, and the resulting performances are very good.

In a world of remakes and sequels, Aguirre, the Wrath of God remains a singular achievement. The film is beautifully made and a testament to obsessively pursued ideas. Herzog is unlike any other filmmaker and Aguirre, the Wrath of God ranks among his best works. Shout! Factory’s new 4K release is leagues better than all prior editions of the film. Check it out!

Video

Aguirre, the Wrath of God arrives on 4K UHD from a 4K transfer struck from its 35mm original color negative. The film is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. I owned Shout! Factory’s prior Blu-ray release featured in their Herzog box set, and the improvements are immediately noticeable. While the prior Blu-ray release looked a little anemic, the new Dolby Vision enabled 4K release looks very vivid. Grain is visible but is resolved competently. Fine detail is excellent. Color timing seems true to the original intentions of the filmmaker. The included Blu-ray is taken from this new 4K makeover and also looked fantastic. I honestly have no notes here except to say “Bravo!” The film looks remarkable.

Audio

Shout! Factory has provided a German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track, English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Track, and a German DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround remixed track. The unique soundtrack features a beautiful opening song by Popol Vuh, and some well chosen instrumental moments from that band occur occasionally in the picture. The 5.1 remix is the way to go, as it feels much more immersive. The dialogue comes across without notable issues. Hiss is not extremely noticeable. Fans should be pleased with the numerous choices they were given for how best to enjoy the film.

Supplements:

4K Disc

• Commentary with Werner Herzog in English moderated by Norman Hill – in this archival commentary, Herzog is very lively and happy to discuss the creation of the film. Definitely check this out.
• Commentary with Werner Herzog in German moderated by Lauren Straub – in this second archival commentary in German with subtitles, Herzog is once again interviewed. Herzog is an exceptional interviewee, so this track is a nice addition.

The Blu-ray Disc includes the commentaries above alongside:

• Image Gallery
• And a Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.75/5

Aguirre, the Wrath of God is a singular achievement from one of the great maverick filmmakers of the twentieth century Werner Herzog. If he had not made so many strange and wonderful films, this could arguably stand as his masterpiece. Many directors work for years and never make anything as unusual or impressive as this. While the film may be an acquired taste for those accustomed to straight forward narratives, the film is unlike any other (aside from Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo.) Herzog’s insane quest to make a film about another man’s insane quest caused himself, his cast, and his crew to endure many of the same conditions that existed for conquistadors in the sixteenth century. While the film is a critique of oversized ambition, it is also a work of oversized ambition. I love Herzog, and Aguirre, the Wrath of God ranks amongst his very best works. The Shout! Factory release features a truly beautiful new 4K presentation alongside solid audio and two great archival commentary tracks with Werner Herzog. This release ranks as one of my favorites of this year. We can only hope that Shout! will do well enough with this release to give us a similar treatment for Fitzcarraldo in the near future. Highly recommended!