Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Name: Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, Action
Released: 1972-12-29
Duration: 1 h 35 min
Rating: 7.8
Cast: Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter Berling

A breathtaking journey into the heart of darkness.

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)

Timing: 1:35 (95 min)

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no scores

7.4/10
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7.8/10
68000

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Everything about the movie

Video 4

Photo 66

Actors and characters

Video for the film Aguirre, the Wrath of God — John Sayles on AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD

1:57

Movie poster "Aguirre, the Wrath of God"

Photo 66

Release date

1972-12-29

Country

Germany, Mexico, Peru

Production

Werner Herzog Filmproduktion, HR

Genre

Adventure, Drama, History, Action

Budget

$370 000

Box office

$34 167

Website

http://www.wernerherzog.com/films-by.html

Director

Werner Herzog

Actors

Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter Berling, Cecilia Rivera, Daniel Ades, Edward Roland, Armando Polanah, Alejandro Repullés
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Werner Herzog

Producer

Werner Herzog, Hans Prescher

Camera operator

Thomas Mauch

Composer

Popol Vuh

Artist

Audition

Editing

Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus
Whole Team (21)

Short description

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre 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.

What's left behind the scenes

Insufficient funding did not allow for the use of stunt doubles. The crew and actors climbed mountains, hacked through the jungle, and descended river rapids on rafts built by locals. Once, the Amazon River overflowed its banks, flooding the set and destroying all the rafts. The episode of the river overflowing was decided to be included in the plot.
There were also days when Werner Herzog had to pay for the food of the actors and crew with his own watch and shoes, and during the filming of the characters' raft journey down the Amazon, the actors and crew had to live on those very same rafts.
Werner Herzog wanted Klaus Kinski to play the role of Aguirre from the very beginning, as he had known him for several years.
In a scene in the Indian village, Klaus Kinski struck one of the actors on the head with a sword. The blow was so powerful that the actor was saved from death only by his helmet.
Werner Herzog himself came up with the main character's unique gait.
In a scene in the Native American village, Klaus Kinski struck one of the actors on the head with a sword. The blow was so powerful that only a helmet saved the actor from death.
Many moments ended up in the film by chance. In one of the opening scenes, the porters almost drop the palanquin in which Ines is sitting. A hand appears in the frame to help them hold the palanquin. It is the hand of director Werner Herzog.
The film was shot in English – the only language known to all members of the crew. The original sound was not used due to its poor quality and was dubbed in German. As director Werner Herzog recounted, Klaus Kinski demanded such a sum for re-recording the sound that they had to find another actor with a similar voice. Gerd Martincen became that actor, his voice being indistinguishable from Kinski's.
One night during filming, Klaus Kinski became so enraged by the noise coming from a tent where actors and crew members were playing cards that he grabbed a gun and fired several shots into the tent. As a result, one of the extras lost a finger. Werner Herzog immediately confiscated the weapon from Kinski.
The film was shot in English—the only language known to every single member of the crew. The original audio was not used due to its low quality, and a German dub was created instead. As director Werner Herzog recounted, Klaus Kinski demanded such a high fee for the voice recording that they had to find another actor with a similar timbre. That person was Gerd Martinzen, whose voice was indistinguishable from Kinski's.
This was Werner Herzog's first film with Klaus Kinski. Their creative partnership would continue for another 15 years.
From the very beginning, Werner Herzog wanted Klaus Kinski, whom he had known for several years, to play the role of Aguirre.
This was Werner Herzog's first film with Klaus Kinski. Their creative partnership continued for another 15 years.
Werner Herzog worked on the film without using a storyboard.
There were also days when Werner Herzog had to pay for food for the actors and crew with his own watches and shoes, and the actors and crew had to live on those same rafts during the filming of the heroes' raft journey down the Amazon.
Werner Herzog worked on the film without storyboards.
The role of the flutist was played by a mentally disabled beggar whom Werner Herzog once saw and decided to cast in the film. This sometimes led to problems during filming because the man turned out to be extremely timid.
The role of the flutist was played by a mentally disabled beggar whom Werner Herzog had encountered once and decided to cast in the film. This occasionally led to problems during filming because the man proved to be extremely timid.
One night during filming, Klaus Kinski was so angered by the noise coming from a tent where the actors and crew were playing cards that he grabbed a rifle and fired several shots into the tent. As a result, one of the extras lost a finger. Werner Herzog immediately took the weapon away from Kinski.
Werner Herzog himself devised the main character's unique gait.
Many moments in the film happened by chance. In one of the opening scenes, the bearers almost drop the palanquin in which Ines is sitting. A hand appears in the frame to help them steady it. That is the hand of director Werner Herzog.