Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Probably writer/director Werner Herzog's most famous film, and certainly the one that first brought him wide fame, Aguirre, The Wrath of God still shows up with some frequency in 100 greatest film lists. Inspired by the story of Lope de Aguirre, a Spanish conquistador who died on an expedition looking for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold, in South America during the 1560's. It is hard to know much for certain about Aguirre, given the time and place he lived and its limits in record keeping, as well as all the mythology and legend that has grown up around this historical figure. Herzog would be one of the first to admit the films story is largely speculative, historically accurate  in only the most general sense. Still it is a riveting story of madness in the vain of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, with star and Herzog frenamie Klaus Kinski giving a power house, often unpredictable performance as a megalomaniac slowly loosing his mind.  It's a great looking film as well, shot in a near documentary style in the Peruvian wildness, which has the effect of making the viewer feel very present in the story. A great, haunting piecing of filmmaking that really earns its reputation . ****