Close Up

11 March 2018: Aguirre, the Wrath of God

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Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Werner Herzog
1972 | 100 min | Colour | Digital
German with English subtitles

“Filming in South America, Herzog recreated the exploits of sixteenth-century Spanish explorer Aguirre (Kinski) who, with his retinue, searched for El Dorado over mountains, through jungles, and down a great river. The film is at once documentary-like and deliriously lyrical: although it identifies with Aguirre’s obsessed and unbalanced state of mind, it keeps a critical and ironic distance on the whole adventure. Kinski’s performance in the title role is nothing short of phenomenal.” – Harvard Film Archive


Part of our essential cinema programme