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One of the reasons I go to the movies is to experience a place that I would otherwise not get to see. In Werner Herzog's astonishing "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" we are taken into the Andes region of the Middle and South Americas in the mid-16th century and are exposed to incredible images and faces. It's a haunting masterpiece that seems ageless.At first sight, the costumes and effects seem amaturish, but quickly we realize that this makes the film superior to what it would have been if it had been made with a larger budget; it adds to the film's artistry and authenticity. Film is a visual medium and it works best when the images we see are not tied down to strictly suit the plot; this film is a feast for the eyes.The plot, what little there is, is very simple: a crew aboard a raft are attempting to get to the City of Gold, El Dorado. Much like Coppola's "Apocalypse Now," we are taken on a mesmerizing journey into the depths of madness with the focus being primarily on mood, setting, atmosphere and images.Klaus Kinski, in one of the best performances I've seen, embodies the insanity that comes with the quest for power. The physicality of Kinski's performance is startlingly effective - he seems drunk on his own sense of power and recalls Brando, Dean, and a young De Niro or Pacino at their most absorbed.The music in the film inspires a sense of awe and wonder that, along with the lush landscape and vistas, succeeds in taking us to another place. These are the kinds of films I love: a director so obsessed with achieving a sensation of marvel, so ambitious in his scope that we are free to wander within the film's world as we watch the characters journey into the mysterious unknown of their mind.There are many good, very good and great films - too many to list, in fact. What I am hoping to do is label each film I see fit as a "masterwork".This film is a masterwork.****
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