1972
Directed by Werner Herzog
This is one of those films where the premise actually sounds quite exciting but the movie turns out to be one of the dullest you have ever seen. The whole thing is such a clunky mess that I am amazed some people consider this to be a masterpiece.
A group of conquistadores, led by Lope de Aguirre, search for the legendary City of Gold in South America. Lope is completely out of his mind and the director loves showing close ups of his face, as though an actor acting crazy is a thing of beauty in itself.
Everything about this film is frenzied: the story, the actors, and even the colors. It is very clear that Herzog believed he was making his magnum opus. I just couldn't get into this level of insanity.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Werner Herzog threatened to kill Klaus Kinski and himself when Kinski threatened to leave the production. Good lord.
Herzog wrote the screenplay in two and a half days, mostly when he was drunk. That's a real surprise.
I think it this is about how is nasty Europeans ignore the inherent beauty and value and instead aim straight for the gold. Quite depressing really.
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