Posted 8:46 pm Friday, November 25, 2011
Period Film A Riveting Descent Into Madness
I've only just begun to look into the life and films of German director Werner Herzog, but immediately it is apparent there isn't a single man like him, in the film world or elsewhere.
Eccentric, driven, inspired, slightly insane, each of those descriptors feels wholly appropriate and yet slightly inadequate to successfully encapsulate who this man is and what he has accomplished (and continues to accomplish) in film. Active since the late '60s, Herzog has directed more than 60 features, short films and documentaries, all of which range in subject from Spanish conquistadors to corrupt police officers to grizzly bear activists to ancient cave paintings. The subject of his next film seems as unpredictable as the man himself.
Herzog is known for his obsessive attention to detail and the often harsh conditions under which his actors and crew work. Like John Huston before him, Herzog insists upon shooting on-location, though even the lengths and locations to which Herzog pushes his crew might make even Huston flinch.
Eccentric, driven, inspired, slightly insane, each of those descriptors feels wholly appropriate and yet slightly inadequate to successfully encapsulate who this man is and what he has accomplished (and continues to accomplish) in film. Active since the late '60s, Herzog has directed more than 60 features, short films and documentaries, all of which range in subject from Spanish conquistadors to corrupt police officers to grizzly bear activists to ancient cave paintings. The subject of his next film seems as unpredictable as the man himself.
Herzog is known for his obsessive attention to detail and the often harsh conditions under which his actors and crew work. Like John Huston before him, Herzog insists upon shooting on-location, though even the lengths and locations to which Herzog pushes his crew might make even Huston flinch.
For instance, Huston may have had his actors and crew on location in the Congo and Uganda, but at least half of that film was shot in England at Middlesex Studios. All of “Aguirre: The Wrath of God” was shot on-site in Peruvian rainforests on the Amazon tributaries. Huston propped up the African Queen on top of a larger raft for filming while the crew filmed from boats. Herzog and crew filmed from rafts made by natives.
The result is a film that often closely resembles the journey of madness undertaken by the titular main character, Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski).
“Aguirre: The Wrath of God” follows a group of Spanish conquistadors as they attempt to locate the fabled city of El Dorado. There was no such city, of course, as it was simply a tall tale constructed by natives. That didn't stop the Spaniards from attempting to locate it, however. The film opens as Gonzalo Pizarro (Alejandro Rupelles) and his men descend the Andes mountains into the thick jungle below.
However, the terrain soon proves impassable and Pizarro sends Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra), Aguirre and a garrison of men to go find help downriver.
The result is a film that often closely resembles the journey of madness undertaken by the titular main character, Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski).
“Aguirre: The Wrath of God” follows a group of Spanish conquistadors as they attempt to locate the fabled city of El Dorado. There was no such city, of course, as it was simply a tall tale constructed by natives. That didn't stop the Spaniards from attempting to locate it, however. The film opens as Gonzalo Pizarro (Alejandro Rupelles) and his men descend the Andes mountains into the thick jungle below.
However, the terrain soon proves impassable and Pizarro sends Don Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra), Aguirre and a garrison of men to go find help downriver.
After several days of floating down a treacherous stretch of river (and being unable to rescue fellow soldiers stuck in an eddy), Usrua orders the men to return to Pizarro. Aguirre, however, refuses and incites a mutiny, insisting that they do not require Pizarro or the other men to find El Dorado. The result is a journey into madness as Aguirre pushes his men further onward on a doomed quest.
There is so much to be said about this film that it feels difficult to encapsulate all of that makes it such a riveting piece to watch. There's the stunning on-location photography (the opening shot showing the caravan as it inches down the perilously narrow mountain ledge as the haunting, experimental electronic score hums is the perfect tone-setter) which sort of defies logic. How Herzog managed to keep a film crew and actors safely on these rafts as they float down river, often down rapids, is nothing short of astounding. But the real draw is Kinski as Aguirre.
There is so much to be said about this film that it feels difficult to encapsulate all of that makes it such a riveting piece to watch. There's the stunning on-location photography (the opening shot showing the caravan as it inches down the perilously narrow mountain ledge as the haunting, experimental electronic score hums is the perfect tone-setter) which sort of defies logic. How Herzog managed to keep a film crew and actors safely on these rafts as they float down river, often down rapids, is nothing short of astounding. But the real draw is Kinski as Aguirre.
Kinski and Herzog were apparently (and almost literally) at each others' throats over the course of production due to major disagreements over how Aguirre would be portrayed. Kinski wanted something more akin to a raving madman, while Herzog wanted Aguirre more internalized, haunted and menacing. The two would have often violent disagreements, with Kinski at one point threatening to shoot Herzog (something Herzog disputes, saying it was himself who held the gun). Whatever the difficulty, though, it was worth it as Aguirre becomes one of the most memorable characters I've witnessed in a film.
The character ended up being presented as Herzog intended and the result is a performance that is riveting. Too often the phrase “you can't take your eyes off them” is bandied about, but in this case it's true. There is a deep-seeded madness brewing and festering behind those gigantic eyes of Kinski's. It can be difficult to tell where the man ends and where the character begins and almost from the first time we see him we cannot help but be captivated by him.
“Aguirre: The Wrath of God” doesn't feel like any other film I've watched. The combined madness of Kinski and Herzog makes for a fascinating piece of art and I can't wait to see what else their combative relationship has produced.
Next week, I'll review “The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser,” followed by “Fitzcarraldo,” “Nosferatu” and “Grizzly Man.”
Stewart Smith is the Entertainment Editor for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Contact him at 903-596-6301 or by e-mail at ssmith@tylerpaper.com.
The character ended up being presented as Herzog intended and the result is a performance that is riveting. Too often the phrase “you can't take your eyes off them” is bandied about, but in this case it's true. There is a deep-seeded madness brewing and festering behind those gigantic eyes of Kinski's. It can be difficult to tell where the man ends and where the character begins and almost from the first time we see him we cannot help but be captivated by him.
“Aguirre: The Wrath of God” doesn't feel like any other film I've watched. The combined madness of Kinski and Herzog makes for a fascinating piece of art and I can't wait to see what else their combative relationship has produced.
Next week, I'll review “The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser,” followed by “Fitzcarraldo,” “Nosferatu” and “Grizzly Man.”
Stewart Smith is the Entertainment Editor for the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Contact him at 903-596-6301 or by e-mail at ssmith@tylerpaper.com.
