Aguirre, the Wrath of God

In 1560, a few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, an expedition led by the infamous Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.

Werner Herzog’s haunting film brings to the screen one of the bloodiest and most bizarre footnotes in the history of the Spanish conquests in the Americas. Although the exact outcome of this disappeared expedition is unclear, Herzog weaves a possible tale of murder and insanity propelled by Aguirre’s lust to found his own dynasty in South America.

Aided by its striking cinematography, an immersive soundscape captured on location during an arduous five-week shoot in the Peruvian rainforest, and a haunting choral score, Aguirre, the Wrath of God is a hallucinatory period drama, a hermetic world of madness and decay that also serves as commentary on fascism in the 20th century.

In German, Quechua, and Spanish with English subtitles. Part of our "Wayfaring Stranger" series. Courtesy: Shout! Factory/Swank Motion Pictures

Please visit our Content Advisory page to access resources for identifying sensitive content and evaluating the age-appropriateness of each film title.