PhiloAguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Viewer Rating
Rating: 8.3
Overview
A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Philo
Apple TV
Google PlayBias Dimensions
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Race Swap: Yes
Christianity: Negative
Overview
A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
PhiloApple TVGoogle PlayDetailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Center
Primary
The film's central focus is on the psychological descent into madness and the futility of human ambition and conquest, rather than explicitly promoting a specific political ideology or solution. Its critique of human folly is existential and universal, transcending partisan political alignment.
The movie features traditional casting that aligns with its historical setting of 16th-century Spanish conquistadors. However, its narrative strongly critiques these traditional identities, portraying the white, male protagonists as consumed by madness and destructive ambition, thereby offering a critical perspective on colonial power.
Secondary
Brother Gaspar de Carvajal, a Spanish friar in a 16th-century historical setting, is portrayed by a Black actor. Historically, a Spanish friar accompanying conquistadors would have been white, fitting the definition of a race swap.
The film portrays the conquistadors' fervent Catholicism as a justification and veneer for their brutal conquest, greed, and descent into madness. Their religious pronouncements are consistently juxtaposed with their horrific actions, highlighting hypocrisy and the destructive potential of fanaticism rather than the faith itself.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God, does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The narrative is entirely focused on the historical expedition of conquistadors and their struggle against nature and each other, with no elements pertaining to queer identity or experience.
The film features two significant female characters, Inés de Atienza and Flores de Aguirre. Neither character participates in any physical combat throughout the film. They are portrayed as non-combatants within the expedition, and there are no scenes depicting them engaging in or winning close-quarters fights against male opponents.
The film is an original screenplay by Werner Herzog, inspired by historical events. All major historical figures and original characters maintain their established or depicted gender, with no instances of a character canonically or historically established as one gender being portrayed as another.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
8.3
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
User Ratings
7.8
7.5
Critic Ratings
9.6
N/A
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