Aguirre, The Wrath of God

I've finally seen it: a Werner Herzog film worth a repeat viewing. Spanish explorers (who speak in German -- I wonder if they're trying to speak German with a Spanish accent?) look for the City of Gold, El Dorado, Peru, in 1560. The adventure shows Catholic priests were complicit in the slave-driving of native Incans. Most interesting is a scene where the priest gives a bible to the "savage," telling him it contains the word of God; the savage holds it up to his ear and shakes it and says it does not speak; the priest then stabs him with a sword, killing him for blasphemy. Yes, the converting went well.

The extended sequence of the Spaniards traveling up the river recalls traits of "The New World": a realistic portrayal of survival in a foreign country, but played allegorically, like Herzog (and Terrence Malick in "The New World") had "Heart of Darkness" in mind. There are some great lines as well. As the Spaniards pass by a village, the Incans shout, "Meat is floating by." Later, Aguierre says, "That man is a head taller than me. That may change." It does change.