MovieChat Forums > Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1977) Discussion > greatest scene ever filmed

greatest scene ever filmed

posted 16 years ago by pranav_chd
16 replies | jump to latest

the greatest scene ever captured on a film would be the opening shot of spanish explorers moving downhill through a valley along with captured indians who carry their cattle,foodetc.The shot of explorers appearing as tiny specs while moving combined with the haunting score really scares the *beep* out of me.Te whole intro scene is amazing we get to watch them suffering from hardships as they try to reach their destination,this is the best movie scene ever closely followed by the ending scene where the raft is overrun by monkeys and everybody is dead and a totally insane agguire is planning his new empire.

[–] shortcartoonist 16 years ago

The opening scene is gorgeous, but I personally much prefer the end scene with the boarding and infestation of the monkeys. The scene is so wild, so real, and acts as a state to prove that the wilderness has finally gotten the best of Aguirre. His men have been defeated, swallowed by the jungle, and are now facing the consequences of claiming it for themselves - the monkeys are Herzog's cheeky way of pointing this out. But the shot itself is amazing; Kinski picks a monkey up, it writhes in his hand, and his insanity furthers as he exclaims that he is the "Wrath of God".
Breathtaking.

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[–] patrik-100 16 years ago

pranav chd youre absolutely right!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] italianswimtrunks 16 years ago

This is the greatest film ever filmed.

It's only a state of mind.

[–] wawacore 16 years ago

The opening and ending scenes were great. The music really enhanced it too. Best scenes ever next to the the graveyard scene and showdown in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

[–] AphoticBob 15 years ago

That intro is a stunner indeed. No doubt the music is a sizable contributor to its impact.

Another scene I think deserves consideration is wherein a booby trap triggers and hoists its victim to a death in the treetops. I like its matter-of-factness and how Herzog leaves it up to us to guess how the unfortunate guy met his end.

[–] WrathOfAguirre 15 years ago

It's also one of the funniest opening scenes, with Herzog's obsessive fear/hatred of chickens on display.

[–] kennyrov1 15 years ago

Incredible opening sequence only matched for its brilliance by the ending with KK on the boat with the monkeys - notice how Kinski throws down the monkey, you can't rehearse that sort of stuff, it's just pure genius!!

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] WarpedRecord 12 years ago

Phenomenal opening and closing scenes, and everything in between is pretty impressive as well. The story is mesmerizing as well, but I found the dubbing and sound editing a bit distracting. I'll give it a solid 8/10 for now, but when I rewatch it, I might upgrade.

[–] Bree_33 11 years ago

Breathtaking and ominous. Descending the mountain...they seem to descend deeper into a Dantesque hell.

The opening music by Popol Vuh is absolutely gorgeous too.

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] OldSamVimes 11 years ago

I totally agree about the CGI. I find myself drawn to older movies made before CGI was in every movie. Knowing how difficult the set-up must have been for a scene increases the impact for me.

Heck, If the boat in Fitzcarraldo was all CGI when it was going over the mountian it would not have ended up as the classic it now is.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] RaoulAkhtar 11 years ago

I would say greatest scene ever filmed in cinema history is actually the final scene of Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes... When we witness the wrath of God...