Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

Herzog recreates a Spanish exploration of Peru in the late 1500s. They make slow progress through the dense jungle, so build a raft to take them down the river. They are relentlessly attacked by natives from shore and lose one raft. Their leader decides to turn back, but Klaus Kinski stages a mutiny and takes over command. He is driven by greed and the prospect of fame deeper down the river, but his crew slowly dies from starvation or more native attacks. In what must have been a grueling production shoot in Peru, it certainly does not lack authenticity. However, it is difficult to sympathize with the brutal Kinski, and Herzog still cannot reign in his tendencies to put animals in dangerous situations.