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Review
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True story of Don Lope de Aguirre, a commander under Gonzalo
Pizarro during the Spanish exploration of South America in
the 15th century. Hopelessly lost while searching for El
Dorado, the city of Gold, Pizarro sends Ursua out with 40
men, including Ursua's wife, and Aguirre, and Aguirre's
daughter Inez, to search for food and help. After disaster
strikes when a raft is caught in a whirlpool, Aguirre
successfully leads a rebellion against Ursua. They
continue downstream hoping to find and capture El Dorado all
by themselves. Aguirre proclaims that he himself with be
King of El Dorado, and he will bring Spain itself to its
knees with his power and might. Unfortunately, the reality
is that a bunch of brave but foolish European soldiers are
trapped in the jungles of South America without the
slightest idea of how to deal with the hazards of nature or
the deadly attacks of the natives with blow guns. One by
one, soldiers are picked off, become ill, or desert.
Aguirre becomes delusional and pathetic, drifting down the
river on a raft of death, all the while proclaiming his
domination of the world. Aguirre is at once a fascinating
story of misadventure and disaster, and a metaphor for
Europe's relationship with the new world. The native
peoples, even those who offer friendship, are enslaved or
killed. Nature is defied, in vain. The priest offers
anemic rationalizations for their behavior. Ursua's wife
stalks off in the middle of the jungle to meet her fate with
the natives, rather than endure another day with Aguirre.
A powerful, haunting story, which must have been a horrific
filming experience for cast and crew. You see, hear,
almost feel the jungle and smell the sweat of the men as
they slog through swamps, down impossible glades, carrying
Ursua's wife in a sedan chair. The dialogue is more than
occasionally stiff: bad translation or weak script? Herzog
also directed Nosferatu, which was more stylish and
affecting than Aguirre.
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