8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Gonzalo Pizarro orders a small Spanish expedition of forty men to search for El Dorado, leaving the mountains of Peru and going down the Amazon river in search of gold and wealth. Soon, they come across great difficulties and Don Aguirre, a ruthless man who cares only about riches, becomes their leader. But will his quest lead them to "the golden city", or to certain destruction?
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Ruy Guerra, Peter BerlingForeign | 100% |
Drama | 88% |
Biography | 9% |
History | 5% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This title is currently available as part of Herzog: The Collection.
Has there ever been a more fascinating figure in film than Werner Herzog? This much debated individual, one who elicits
both hyperbolic accolades and equally exaggerated derision, has been a seeming force of nature in film for decades,
helping to define the New German Cinema (a somewhat later analog to the French New Wave). Herzog’s filmography is
rather breathtakingly diverse, traversing both traditional fiction, quasi-biographies, and a large number of
documentaries.
Through it all, Herzog himself has become the subject of considerable controversy, at times seeming to be as
obsessively
motivated as some of his film subjects. The auteur’s off kilter blend of nihilism and often black humor has given
him and his films a decidedly unique place in contemporary media, to the point that a supposed note Herzog jotted off to his
cleaning lady became an internet sensation (it’s actually a brilliantly written parody by Dale Shaw). Shout! Factory, a
label
which repeatedly stubbed its corporate toe on its last big deluxe boxed set built around the talents of one person (Bruce Lee: The Legacy
Collection, the only time in my reviewing career I have had to start over from scratch due to a complete recall
and reissue) may seem to be throwing caution to the wind by upping the ante with this release. Here there are no
fewer than 16 films by Herzog, housed in a handsome hardback booklike case that also features a wealth of text and
information about each of the films. Fifteen of the films are new to Blu-ray (Shout's horror imprint Scream Factory
released Herzog's Nosferatu the
Vampyre as a standalone a few months ago), and the offerings here cover both iconic films in Herzog's
oeuvre as well as some oddities. The extremely handsome packaging offers a 7.5" x 7.5" x 1.5" hardback book
exterior casing which houses heavy cardstock pocket holders that contain the discs. Also included are The Werner
Herzog Condition by Stephen J. Smith, an appreciation of the director's work with essays about each of the films.
The films get even more text in write-ups by Chris Wahl and Brad Prager. Each of the pocket holder pages details the
film (or in some cases, films) on each disc, with audio options and special features listed.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. This is one of the nicer looking transfers in the new Herzog set, though there are signs of high frequency filtering that crop up now and again. The dense jungle environment, not to mention misty weather and some scenes drenched in rain, tend to at least slightly mask grain structure at times (unless you press your nose right up to the screen), but there are several moments that look relatively grain free, especially when one peruses the (admittedly rare) clear blue skies in some scenes. That said, there's no appreciable loss of fine detail, and none of the typically waxy, smeary appearance the usually denotes over aggressive DNR. Likewise, there are no signs of artificial sharpening. The transfer boasts excellent clarity and beautifully saturated color. Depth of field is stunning in several shots looking down the mouth of the gaping river. Contrast is strong and consistent and black levels are also solid. There are no stability issues of any note, and the elements are in superb condition.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God features the original German audio in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 and an English dub in DTS-HD Master audio 2.0. While the included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 German track significantly opens up environmental ambient effects throughout the film, things like the evocative score by Popul Vuh actually sound too diffuse in this version, and so some audiophiles may opt for the 2.0 track, which offers excellent fidelity and a somewhat more focused soundfield. There's also an odd frequency shift between the 5.1 mix and the 2.0 mix, where if you toggle between them, you can actually hear the underscore fluctuate a few centimes between the two.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God is typically listed as the best of the Kinski-Herzog collaborative efforts, and while some might want to debate that point, there's no denying that this is an incredibly fascinating film, one which presents an unforgettable portrait of an obsessive character in an exotic locale. Technical merits on this Blu-ray are generally excellent, and Aguirre, the Wrath of God comes Highly recommended.
1982
Herz aus Glas
1976
1987
Jeder für sich und Gott gegen alle
1974
1979
1997
1971
Wo die grünen Ameisen träumen
1984
1977
Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski
1999
Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen
1970
Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit
1971
Ballade vom kleinen Soldaten
1984
El abrazo de la serpiente
2015
Андрей Рублёв / Andrey Rublev
1966
2017
2008
2008
Зеркало / Zerkalo
1975
La mort en ce jardin
1956