Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)

It’s about as far away from a Christmas film as you can get, but I treated myself to an early Christmas present in the form of the BFI’s Werner Herzog Blu-ray box set. Herzog’s masterpiece is loosely based on the 16th century tale of Don Lope de Aguirre, a Spanish conquistador who grows increasingly volatile as he vies for power on an expedition to find the mythical city of El Dorado deep in the jungles of Peru. Herzog’s eye for creating a deeply atmospherical and tension filled setting is astonishing, as the hierarchy of the expedition is constantly challenged, frequently violently, but also by the elements. The score by Popol Vuh is remarkable, weaving a hallucinogenic layer over the characters who fear for their safety at every turn the further they delve into the jungle, seemingly no closer to their goal but certainly nearing insanity. Herzog’s frequent collaborator Klaus Kinski is hugely engulfing as Aguirre, both to the audience and to his increasingly fearful camp. He fleets between lurking in the early sequences to becoming a prominent voice in the expedition as he slowly begins to become overwhelmed by both the idea of true power as well as his journey into it, culminating in a fantastic final quarter of the film as it comes to a fascinating and yet minimalistic head. 8.6/10