About

'Aguirre' could be viewed as an adventure story that on the surface has all the characteristics of the genre, but on a deeper level contains something new and more complex. It really is a genre unto itself.

The jungle of 'Aguirre' is never some lush, beautiful environment there for decoration, as it might be in a television commercial. It's a representation of our most intense and forceful dreams, our deepest emotions and nightmares. With its madness and confusion, the place becomes a vital part of characters' inner landscapes, taking on almost human qualities.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God will screen from an archival 35mm film print.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God is one of cinema's greatest depictions of madness and obsession. The film trails Lope de Aguirre and a group of conquistadores in the 16th Century as they travel down the Amazon in search of El Dorado and its mythical riches. In his first collaboration with Herzog, Klaus Kinski's performance provides the lead character a level of feverish intensity rarely seen on screen before or since.

Aguirre is a masterpiece that has lost none of its nightmarish power. The simple narrative structure provides space for Herzog to craft a fatalistic atmosphere that grows endlessly as the explorers succumb to disease, starvation and unseen assailants. Famed film critic Roger Ebert included the film in his own personal Top 10 and it would prove to be a major influence on generations of directors: from Francis Ford Coppola to Nicholas Winding Refn.