Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Aguirre, the Wrath of God follows a 16th-century Spanish expedition descending the Amazon in search of the legendary El Dorado. Led by the ruthless and increasingly unhinged Don Lope de Aguirre, the voyage quickly unravels: hostile terrain and native resistance are only the beginning as mistrust, power struggles and paranoia tear the group apart. What begins as a quest for gold becomes a grim collapse of loyalty, sanity and order. Watching the film is a slow-burn, immersive experience. You’ll feel the oppressive heat and claustrophobia of the jungle and river, and live through the expedition’s steady descent into madness. The central performance of the leader is unsettling and magnetic, driving a mounting sense of dread and inevitability. Visually and tonally bleak, the movie confronts themes of greed, imperial hubris and human fragility; it’s as much a psychological study as it is an adventure. Expect haunting imagery, tense, sometimes brutal confrontations, and a mood that lingers long after the credits.

Actors: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo

Director: Werner Herzog

Runtime: 95 min

Genres: Action, Adventure, Biography

7.2 /10 7.8 /10 7.5 /10