Aguirre, the Wrath of God Opening Analysis

Aguirre, the Wrath of God Opening Analysis


The film opens with a series of textual slides which set the premise for the film. The slides tell us that after the Inca Empire fell to the Spanish, the Indians created a fake tale of El Dorado, the land of gold. A band of Spanish adventurers set off to find this promised land in the late 16th century, and the film takes place from the remains of the diary of the monk Gaspar de Carvajal. The establishing shot of the film is an aerial shot, overlooking a mountainous region which sets the scene somewhere in South America. As the extreme long shot begins to zoom in on the people walking on the mountains, atmospheric choir music plays in the background, creating a feel of medieval europe. There is then voiceover narration from a narrator, presumably the monk, who mentions how they set off after he had said mass, which along with the choir creates an underlying setting of medieval christianity, despite being in the depths of the Amazon jungle. This contradiction gives us a notion of the confusion and chaos that is to manifest later in the film. Soon, the camera is at level with the voyagers, and the medium shot introduces us to the characters.The mise en scene of their costumes fits the time period perfectly, with europeans wearing chainmail and robes with groups of indian slaves in chains wearing mesoamerican garments. The narrator comments how 'The indians drop like flies due to illness and starvation' and how they didn't even have time to give them a christian burial, showing obvious irony. The voyagers then venture forth into the dense forrest, not sure where their fate lies.