In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
This allegory of the last days of the Third Reich being played out in the heart of the Amazon is deftly handled by Herzog and only adds to the complexity of this thoughtful piece of cinema.
Somehow they got the film made, and 40 years later it remains an astonishing piece of work.
It looks more magnificent and mad than ever, one of the great folies de grandeur of 1970s cinema, an expeditionary Conradian nightmare like Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
Herzog's riveting Brechtian epic about a catastrophic expedition across the Andes and down the Amazon in 1560 is arguably his best work.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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