Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 20 | slideshow) Videos
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) -- In in 16th century, the ruthless and insane Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   15,212 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Werner Herzog
Writer:
Werner Herzog (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Aguirre: The Wrath of God on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 April 1977 (USA) more
Tagline:
On this river, God never finished his creation. more
Plot:
In in 16th century, the ruthless and insane Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
3 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Director Yang Dies
 (From WENN. 2 July 2007)

User Comments:
Incredibly intense film more

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Klaus Kinski ... Don Lope de Aguirre
Helena Rojo ... Inez
Del Negro ... Brother Gaspar de Carvajal
Ruy Guerra ... Don Pedro de Ursua
Peter Berling ... Don Fernando de Guzman
Cecilia Rivera ... Flores
Daniel Ades ... Perucho (as Dan Ades)
Edward Roland ... Okello
Alejandro Chavez
Armando Polanah ... Armando
Daniel Farfán
Julio E. Martínez
Alejandro Repulles ... Gonzalo Pizarro
Indianern der Kooperative Lauramarca
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Justo González ... González
Antonio Marquez
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Aguirre, Wrath of God (UK)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (USA)
more
Runtime:
93 min
Language:
German | English
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
West Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | South Korea:12 (2002) | Argentina:18 | Australia:M (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991)
Filming Locations:
Aguaruna Lands, Peru more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
During one scene set in a native village, Klaus Kinski hits one of the crewmen over the head with his sword. The blow nearly killed the man, and only his helmet saved his life. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Peruvian Indians are dressed in clothes that were imported by Spanish people in 19th Century. The Aguirre story is setted in 16th Century. more
Quotes:
Don Lope de Aguirre: Perucho, don't you think the cannon might be a little bit rusty?
Perucho: It might.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes (Lacrime Di Re) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
20 out of 21 people found the following comment useful:-
Incredibly intense film, 23 October 2006
10/10
Author: Camera Obscura from 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?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Worst movie to ever reach my eyes j_bass88
Trivia section is *beep* insane! Mustard-Dragonfly
Kinski .. Great ? aktowfik
Which language should I watch the film in for the first time? hanshotfirst1138
nudity question words_words_words
I thought the movie betrayed itself... Didn't like it martin_033
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Andrey Rublyov The Good Earth The New World Gone with the Wind The Sleeping Dictionary
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb West Germany section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.